


Evil Tastes Kinda Chalky

by CydSA



Category: American Idol RPF
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-10-04
Updated: 2010-10-04
Packaged: 2017-10-12 10:10:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 24,233
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/123772
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CydSA/pseuds/CydSA
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kris Allen is a Slayer, a Chosen One. Adam is the Master Vampire in Conway. They should hate each other on sight. They don't.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Evil Tastes Kinda Chalky

[ ](http://s200.photobucket.com/albums/aa54/CydSA/my%20art/?action=view&current=Banner-Mal.png)

**Slayer's Got a New School**

Kris squared his shoulders. New schools sucked. LA was his home but since his last school had burned down - totally not his fault - his mom and dad had decided to move back to his father's hometown of Conway, Arkansas.

He stepped forward and was almost bowled over by someone from behind. Hands grabbed him.

"Sorry, man, I wasn't looking where…hey, you're new!" The guy who'd almost run him down beamed at him and held out his hand. "I'm Matt Giraud. Welcome to Conway High."

Kris looked at his eager face and smiled back. "Hey, Kris Allen," he said as he shook Matt's hand. "I just transferred in." Matt had tightly curled sandy blond hair, dimples and a mole that Kris couldn't look away from. It probably made him shallow but it was mesmerizing.

"Cool, where are you from?" Matt asked as they started walking into the school.

"Los Angeles," Kris said and then paused as a tall, serious looking guy with caramel skin walked up and clapped Matt on the shoulder.

"Introduce us, Matthew," he demanded.

"Kris Allen, meet Anoop Desai," Matt obliged, "School genius and my best friend since kindergarten."

Anoop smiled back at Kris and they shook hands. "Welcome to the Ninth Circle of Hell," Anoop said.

Kris stared at him. "Um, what?" he asked.

Anoop laughed. "Just a head's up. You'll get to know that very weird things happen in Conway." Kris walked with them to the secretary's office thinking that he couldn't possibly know anything. Right?

He smiled at the lady who gave him his schedule and Matt snatched it away and scanned it quickly. "Okay, it's a great start, we're in History together."

Anoop smiled at him. "History's not my thing," he said, "but Matt reckons it's easy enough."

"It's just memorising stuff," Matt said as they headed out of the office. "I've got an awesome memory," he bragged.

"For random crap," Anoop informed Kris and reciprocated when Matt flipped him off lazily.

Matt dragged Kris to History with him when he discovered they shared the class. Anoop headed off to Advanced Chemistry and they arranged to meet up at lunch.

"Anoop's really smart," Matt confided, "none of the classes keep him interested."

"That doesn't explain why he's friends with you." The new voice was biting and sarcastic and Kris looked around to see a pretty guy with sharp cat-like features sneering at Matt. "Loserville is a lonely town and it's inexplicable to me how you've managed to get residents."

Kris really didn't want to laugh but the bitchy guy was kind of hilarious. "Kris," he said, holding out his hand.

"Brad," the bitch said and narrowed his gaze at Matt. "I think stalking is so unattractive," he said, "waiting for new people to arrive and then pouncing on them smacks of desperation."

Matt scowled at him. "You just wish I stalked you," and blushed.

"Of course I do," Brad said, "You can be my community outreach project. I like to help those less fortunate than me," he glared at Matt, "less fortunate in _every_ way."

Matt snarled and Brad skipped back. "You should be careful who you make friends with, Kris," he advised, "It's important to have the right people in your corner."

"Charming," Kris said as they watched Brad walk away.

"He loves me," Matt said confidently, "he just can't admit it to himself."

"Right," Kris said dubiously and they went into class.

He had lunch with Matt and Anoop in the open quadrant under a tree and felt a vague niggle at the back of his skull. He looked around and saw a small group of people in the shadow of the main building. One of the guys was a lot taller than the others and he was staring intently at Kris.

"Who's that?" Kris asked Matt.

"Who?" Matt turned to look over at the group. "Oh, that's the school's resident vampires." He laughed when he said it so Kris was almost sure he was kidding.

"What?" he asked and Anoop sent Matt a reproachful look.

"Remember when I spoke about the weird that is Conway?" he whispered. Kris nodded and Anoop leaned in. "Come over to my house sometime and I'll show you my basement."

Kris stared at him. Matt fell back laughing. "It sounds like you're inviting him over for sex."

Anoop glared at him. "You know," he said quietly, "sometimes I think Brad is right about you." Matt stopped laughing and glared back at him.

Kris coughed to disguise his laughter. "Seriously though, you think those guys are vampires?" he asked, looking back and finding the little group gone.

Anoop nodded. "Adam, Allison and Cook are definitely of the blood-sucking persuasion." He shrugged. "I haven't made up my mind about Megan yet."

"That's 'cause you have the hots for her," Matt crowed and then yelped and ran when Anoop bared his teeth.

Kris shook his head. "I can't believe you guys are talking about vampires as though they are real!" He leaned forward. "They're evil, aren't they? But also, not of the real variety?"

Matt laughed, coming back and dropping down again. "There are more things in heaven and earth, Horace," he quoted sagely.

Anoop sighed. "Horatio, you ass," he said.

Matt shrugged. "Whatever." He looked back at Kris. "We're not totally stupid you know," he said and Kris breathed a sigh of relief. They'd been messing with him. "Not _all_ vampires are evil. It's like saying all dogs like licking their balls."

Anoop dropped his head in his hands. "I swear, just when I think you can't get dumber, you pull a stupid card that even I can't excuse."

"Okay," Kris held up his hands. "Explain this to me?" he asked. "You have vampires in your school?"

Anoop nodded. "But you don't have to worry about them, they're not the evil kind," he hurried to assure Kris.

"Oh," Kris said, not sure what to make of that. "There are other kinds of vampires?"

Matt chipped in, "Totally, not all of them are evil, you shouldn't believe all the hype around them. They've been given a really bad rep."

Kris wondered when he'd walked onto the set of the Twilight Zone. "Bad rep," he echoed.

Anoop sighed. "Is this weird?" he asked and looked at Kris, "this is weird right?"

Kris shrugged. "I'm from LA, not much surprises me anymore." He stared at the spot where the group had been standing, rubbed at the back of his neck. "Although, a school that is okay with a group of genuine vampires is a whole new level of weird if I'm being honest."

"We're used to weird shit around here," Matt confessed. "We live on a Hellmouth."

[ ](http://s200.photobucket.com/albums/aa54/CydSA/my%20art/?action=view&current=divider-Mal.png)

His handler sent him a message to meet him in the school auditorium at the end of the day.

He pushed the door open and saw a guy picking up sheet music and humming to himself.

"Mr. Seacreast?" he called and stifled a giggle as the sheets went flying when the guy squeaked and spun around in alarm.

"Who wants to know?" he asked warily and pushed unruly brown hair off his forehead. He was younger than Kris expected.

"Kris Allen," he said, "you sent for me?"

"Ah yes," he said, "the slayer." He waved for Kris to come forward, "My name is Ryan Seacrest but you can call me Seacrest," he said a little pompously.

"I'll call you Ryan," Kris said firmly.

Ryan's eyes narrowed. "Simon Cowell warned me that you were difficult," he said darkly.

Kris shrugged. "Simon had a huge big stick up his British ass most of the time." He grinned, "I didn't mean for the school to burn down."

Ryan blanched. "Right." He went over to the piano and pulled some large books out of his briefcase. "I have some reading material for you." He held the books out to Kris who felt his stomach clench in refusal. "The situation in Conway is a little unusual."

"Oh," Kris said blithely, "you mean that we're on a Hellmouth?"

Ryan stared at him. "How did you..?"

"Or that the population, the school kids anyway, are very aware of the existence of vampires?" Kris asked, enjoying himself.

Ryan's mouth opened and closed a few times. "Yes, well…"

"I guess Buffy Summers wasn't the only slayer to live in a small town with an elevator between earth and hell," Kris mused.

"Which is why it's imperative that you are always on your guard here," Ryan told him, chest puffing up a little, "There are many strange things happening here."

Kris nodded, "Yeah, I get that, Hellmouths tend to attract the whacky."

Ryan frowned at him. "Supernatural phenomena are not to be joked about," he remonstrated.

"And hey, guess what I also found out?" Kris asked, "Di you know that not all vampires are evil? Now that was a new one for me too."

Ryan straightened up. "Well, it seems as though you have not wasted your first day here," he said.

Kris shrugged. "People like me, they talk to me."

Ryan scowled. "Be that as it may, you still need to do research on the Master Vampire here."

"I'll just ask Adam tomorrow," Kris said. "It's probably best to go straight to the source."

"Who is Adam?" Ryan asked, voice cold.

"He seems to be the leader of the good guys," Kris said. "I'm sure he wouldn't mind me dealing with the dudes that give him a bad rep."

Ryan glared at him. "I don't know how things went with Cowell," he began, "but with me as your handler…"

Kris rolled his eyes and walked out. "Wait, we need to set up a training schedule!" Ryan called after him.

"Later," Kris waved and headed to his car.

The tall lean body propped up against the driver's door made him stop. "Hey," he called.

"Hey," the stranger replied and pushed himself to his full height. Kris looked up into arctic blue eyes and felt something burning low in his gut. "I'm Adam," he said and held out his hand.

"Kris," he replied and placed his hand in Adam's. The long, slender fingers with nail tipped in midnight blue wrapped around his and Kris couldn't stop the shiver.

"Cold?" Adam asked and Kris shook his head. "Welcome, Slayer," he said, hypnotic and soft.

"One of many," Kris shrugged, not pretending to misunderstand. "Things have changed a lot since Summers gave her powers to all who held the mark."

"Unusual for the slayer powers to pass to a male," Adam mused, watching him with those ridiculous eyes.

"Just lucky I guess," Kris said, sounding anything but. "So, can I ask why you're waiting for me?"

"I wanted to introduce myself, make sure you knew you didn't have anything to worry about," Adam said. "I like our town and don't want there to be trouble."

Kris looked intently at Adam. "I don't want any trouble." His mouth twisted. "But there is a Master Vampire who has moved into the territory and it's my job to take care of him."

"Her," Adam corrected and Kris looked at him sharply.

"The Master is female?" he asked.

Adam inclined his head. "Indeed," he murmured. "We have paid our respects and our tithes already."

Kris frowned. "How is it that the people know about you?" He really wanted to know. "I've never been around vamps who let humans know about them."

Adam smiled and Kris felt another little flutter low in his belly. This was not good. "We decided to be honest with the townsfolk when we moved in. The fascination humans have with the occult was most advantageous. They agreed to supply us with regular blood from the blood bank; we agreed not to eat them. Win-win."

Kris didn't want to grin back at Adam but he couldn't see to stop himself. "That's good to know," he drawled, "I would hate to have to stake you."

Adam stepped closer and Kris caught the scent of wild and heat and something that called to him. "I like the idea of staking you though," he murmured and Kris took a quick breath. "You're delicious."

"Hey!" Kris exclaimed, holding a hand out to ward Adam off, "You're a vampire, I'm a slayer, it's not going to happen, man!"

Adam's mouth curved again and Kris annoyed himself by noticing the freckles that decorated his mouth. "But we could be like Romeo and Julian," Adam offered slyly.

"They both died," Kris pointed out and Adam threw his head back and laughed, his skin shining white in the late afternoon sun.

"We're going to be great friends," Adam said, still chuckling and ran an ice-cold hand down Kris' cheek. "I'll see you in school tomorrow."

He walked to a large black SUV and climbed in and Kris watched him drive away, hand going to his cheek like an infatuated girl. He was in so much trouble.

He climbed into his old Volkswagen and headed off home. When he walked into the kitchen, his mama asked, "How was your first day, honey?"

He kissed her and sat at the kitchen table, drinking the glass of milk she put down in front of him. "Interesting," he said eventually. "But I met some cool guys and I think I'm going to fit in okay here."

Kim Allen ruffled his hair a little and he ducked away. "Of course you will, Kristopher. This is Conway, not LA; people are friendly here."

Kris thought back on blue eyes and white teeth and nodded. "Friendly, yeah, that's the truth." His stomach did a little loop when he thought about tomorrow. But patrol would have to start tonight.

[ ](http://s200.photobucket.com/albums/aa54/CydSA/my%20art/?action=view&current=divider-Mal.png)

**I Got Your Back Baby**

Kris looked around him, alert to the noises of the night. It would not be cool to get killed on his first night as the Conway slayer so he paid attention to shadows and leaves rustling and almost jumped out of his skin when he heard Adam ask, "Do you mind if I tag along?"

He yelped and spun around. "Dude!" he said, "don't do that, I could have staked you!" He held up the sharp, pointed weapon as evidence.

Adam looked at him. "Really?" He appeared sceptical. "And yet you didn't hear me coming up behind you?"

Kris scowled, chagrined that he'd been caught unaware. "It's been a while," he admitted. "I might be a little rusty."

"Be careful," Adam warned, "or you'll be a lot dead."

"I managed to survive in LA," Kris pointed out, "I can't be that bad."

Adam nodded. "True, but you were one of many slayers there, here you're the one and only." He smiled, all teeth and charm. "I want to keep you around for a while, at least until I've managed to persuade you of the benefits of being allied with our little family."

Kris snorted as he carried on walking, Adam walking next to him. He snuck quick peeks at the vampire, trying to assure himself that he really wasn't as pretty as he'd thought. He was actually prettier.

"What are we looking for?" Adam whispered to him.

"Vampires," Kris whispered back. Adam glared at him. "What?" he asked, "I'm supposed to change my whole ideology and belief system just because there are a couple of you who _don't_ want to kill every human they see?"

Adam strolled with his hands clasped behind his back. "I think you're being racist," he said eventually and Kris stared at him, startled. "I'm serious, I think I'm offended."

Kris looked at him in surprise. "I am a slayer, Adam," he said, I've been trained to hunt and kill your kind since I was eight years old." He needed Adam to understand where he was coming from. "I think you're pretty awesome," He grinned at Adam's sudden smile, "but you're still prey for me. Give me a chance to catch my breath, please?" he asked.

Then he changed the subject. "So how long have you been one of the undead?"

Adam glared at him. "Can you _not_ use that particular description?" he asked. "I am very much alive." His face changed and Kris remembered that the vampire was the apex predator on the planet. "I can demonstrate it if you'd like."

"No thanks," Kris shook his head quickly. "I already know way too much about you guys, I really don't need to know that you can still…" he stopped, abruptly aware of where his brain had been leading his mouth. "Asshole," he muttered as Adam giggled. Giggled! "You are the weirdest vamp I've ever met."

"Thank you," Adam smiled and dipped his head. "And to go back to your previous question about how long my diet has consisted of mostly liquid only, about two hundred years."

Kris sighed. "Well, you're not the oldest I've encountered, but then I don't usually stop to have a conversation when I'm hunting."

Adam dropped a long arm over Kris' shoulders. "You should try talking to them sometime, you'd be surprised."

Kris shrugged that surprisingly comfortable arm off. "You're my prey, I don't talk to prey." Then he scowled. "My training was always: _the only good vampire is a dead vampire_ " He looked at Adam, feeling that twist deep in his gut at the thought of this creature not being in the world.

"Do you _want_ to kill me, Kris?" Adam asked softly and opened his arms wide, presenting himself as a vulnerable target.

"No," Kris muttered, "and that's messing with my head."

"So what made you leave LA and move to Conway?" Adam asked as they walked through the quiet town.

Kris flushed and felt the heat of Adam's gaze. "I sort of burned down my school," he admitted.

Adam didn't reply for a while and Kris started a stupid case of the worries. "You **sort** of burnt down your school?" he asked eventually and somehow his tone was both amused and a little desperate.

"Well, it wasn't totally my fault," Kris muttered defensively, still blushing.

"You smell…" Adam spoke roughly, "I should leave before I do something inappropriate."

"What?" Kris asked, confused, "I don't…""

"Your blood," Adam explained tightly, "so close to the surface of your skin. It makes me want."

"Oh," Kris said and blushed again. When had he become a twelve year old girl? What the hell was wrong with him?

"Would you please stop blushing?" Adam asked, "It's distracting."

"Sorry," Kris mumbled, but his cheeks still burned.

"Oh, for God's sake," Adam growled and stepped around in front of Kris and put his hands, cold and smooth on Kris' cheeks. "Forgive the liberty," he whispered and bent his head and kissed him. Kris stood frozen in shock, the head of his skin a sharp contrast to the ice of Adam's hands and mouth. Gradually though, as Adam did nothing more that press his lips softly to Kris', he relaxed and opened and let Adam in.

Kris lost himself in Adam's taste. It was wild and spice and fear and everything he'd been taught to avoid and kill but he wanted. He wanted so badly that he felt the heat rise inside and push at his throat and Adam opened wider and drank the fire in.

"Well now, isn't this interesting?" The high, girlish voice made Kris jump away from Adam, scrubbing furiously at his mouth. He spun to face the speaker.

She was tiny. Even shorter than he was, which was an accomplishment. Her long blond hair shone in the cold light of the moon and her eyes were wide and huge and dark.

Adam made a little growling noise in the back of his throat. She looked at him sharply. "A human and a vampire bonding?" she asked and then sniffed at the air. "And not just _any_ human either, a slayer." Her eyes fixed on Kris and he wanted to take a step back but stood his ground instead.

"Katherine, this is the slayer, Kris, he was just asking about you?" Adam said.

She giggled, a sound that should have been musical but it set Kris' teeth on edge. "Asking with his tongue in your mouth?" she laughed, "there's a unique way of doing things."

Kris felt his skin crawling. There was power here. This tiny woman was the source of it. She looked like a Homecoming Queen but he sensed the monster within. "I don't want there to be any trouble in Conway," he told her.

"I hate trouble," Katherine said softly. "I prefer it when the meat dies quietly."

Kris stared at her. He wasn't sure he'd heard correctly. "Meat?" he asked and then he was grabbed from behind.

Adam gave a shout and his hand shot out and pulled the attacking vampire away from him, tossing him away from Kris. "Hey, not cool!" he said angrily, "fight like a man, don't be a chicken shit and attack from behind."

The other vamp stared up at Adam from the ground at Katherine's feet. "Alright then," Katherine agreed and she waved her hand and suddenly they were surrounded.

"This is not going to end well," Kris muttered.

Adam stood at his back, facing out and he was grinning like a crazy man. "It's going to be fun," he breathed and threw himself at the nearest vampire.

There were about ten of them, all hungry and blood thirsty and Kris drew his stake. "Be careful with that thing," Adam warned, "You wouldn't want to stake a friend now, would you?"

"We're not friends!" Kris gritted his teeth and smashed his fist into the vamp that sprang at him.

"Aw, now you've gone and hurt my feelings!" Adam pouted and spun, kicking his leg back and the big male vamp collapsed, clutching his knee. Adam knelt next to him, took his head in his hands and twisted sharply. The vamp dusted and Kris gaped. "We're going to have to talk about this hostility," Adam told him as he ducked to avoid another vampire.

"I am hostile because we're in the middle of a fight, moron!" Kris told him and drew his hand back and punched the stake dead centre into the vamp's chest. The hail of dust made him cough a little and he focused on the next attacker.

"We're going to have a rocky relationship if you're going to be like this," Adam said as he tore one arm off an advancing vampire. The creature stopped, looked at its empty arm socket and started screaming.

"We do not have a relationship!" Kris yelled and swirled in a roundhouse kick, taking out two of Katherine's minions.

"What was that kiss about then?" Adam asked as he casually thrust a hand into a vampire's chest, pulled out a throbbing heart and squeezed. The vampire dusted and Adam looked at Kris, eyes inquiring.

" _You_ kissed _me_!" Kris pointed out. He ducked the long arms of a young looking vampire and came up and under and staked it quickly. He shook the dust out of his hair.

"Only because your blood was all rushing to the surface of your skin and if I didn't kiss you then I might have bitten you!" Adam protested loudly and his booted foot flew out and literally took one vampire's head off.

Katherine threw her hands up in the air. "This is embarrassing!" she yelled and the remaining vampires all turned to look at her and cringed. "What part of out numbered are you not getting?" she asked and pointed at Kris and Adam who still stood back to back, ready.

"Um, they've pretty much taken out more than half of us already, Mistress," one of the minions said, almost apologetic.

"Fine," Katherine sighed, "we'll leave you for now, but this is not over." The dire warning was slightly negated by the squeaky voice and Kris had to duck his head to hide his smile. "Until we meet again, slayer."

She looked sharply at Adam, "You do understand that by assisting him, you have allied yourself with him and declared war on your kind?"

Adam dipped his head in a regal nod. "I do, Katherine," and he grinned, "it's just that he's much more my type than you are."

Kris groaned. This was so bad. "Would you please not say stuff like that?" he begged. Adam beamed at him.

Katherine rolled her eyes. "Honestly, I'm a little embarrassed for you now myself," she told Kris. "Aren't slayers supposed to strike terror into the hearts of all vampires?" Her tone was amused and she walked off with the straggling remnants of her retinue.

"Oh God." Kris put his hand over his eyes. "Here's my stake," he offered it to Adam, "kill me now please."

Adam dropped an arm across his shoulders and started guiding him along the road again. "I have other plans for you, pretty slayer," he waggled his eyebrows and Kris tried not to laugh. "I'm going to keep you alive for a while longer if you don't mind."

Kris nudged him gently away. "Stop it," he mumbled. "I think you've done enough to humiliate me tonight."

Adam chuckled. "But it's so much fun," he said, cajoling, "you're like so easy to get a rise out of." He stopped at Kris' glare and held up his hands. "What? I meant that totally in the non-sexual way."

"Right," Kris pouted a little and they spent the next couple of uneventful hours patrolling the streets of Conway. Kris had never actually had someone at his back on patrol before so this night had been a revelation.

For some reason, despite the fact that Adam was part of a race that Kris had been trained to hunt and kill, Kris liked him. He was witty and sly and funny and so gorgeous that Kris had to force himself to concentrate on the job at hand instead of gazing at the pale line of his jaw.

Oh God. He _was_ a twelve year old girl after all.

Towards the early light of morning, they made their way back to the street where Kris lived. He'd left his bedroom window open and he stopped there and turned to look up at Adam.

"So," he began, "this was…fun."

Adam grinned down at him. "The most fun I've had at night in a long time." The innuendo did not escape Kris who rolled his eyes.

"Honestly, do you ever stop?" he asked.

Adam shook his head. "Nope," he admitted cheerfully. "Not when I see something I want."

Kris tipped his head to one side and stared at him. "Is it because I'm a slayer?" he asked.

One eyebrow went up. "Is what because you're the slayer?"

"Your interest in me," Kris explained. "Is it because I'm a slayer?" He wasn't sure he really wanted to know.

"Kris," Adam sighed and stepped close, stepped in until he was pressed up against Kris and Kris' neck was craning back. "I'm interested because you're gorgeous." He stopped. "Well, that was my first impression." He smiled again and Kris saw the genuine emotion there. "Then I discovered your sense of humour and your brain." He stroked a cold hand down Kris' cheek. "Trust me baby, that's a turn-on all on its own."

Kris blushed and looked down. "Oh, you pretty, pretty boy," Adam crooned and swooped down, cool lips taking his in a shattering kiss. Kris felt consumed. He just let Adam kiss him, all tongue and teeth and spit.

A sharp pain made him jerk away and he looked at the spot of blood on Adam's lip. "Hey!" he protested.

Adam's pink tongue shot out and the crimson drop vanished. "Delicious," Adam declared and beamed at Kris. "Yet another reason to want you."

"You are not drinking my blood," Kris told him firmly.

Adam nodded, eyes gleaming. "Of course I'm not," he said and Kris could tell he totally didn't mean it. He heaved himself over the sill into his room and turned to stare out at Adam.

"This is going to get complicated, isn't it?" he asked.

Adam's face turned serious. "Yes," he agreed, "but I'm prepared to deal with the complications if you are."

Kris shook his head. "I don't think," he began and Adam leaned in through the window and kissed him again, quick and fierce.

"You think too much, sweet thing," Adam told him as he pulled away. Kris stared back at him, dazed. "I'll see you later at school; I think we're in Music together." A quick wave and the shadows welcomed him back into their arms.

Kris went to his bed and lay down, thinking of the kiss, the vampire, Adam. He made a pathetic moaning sound and put his pillow over his face. This totally would never have happened to Buffy Summers.

[ ](http://s200.photobucket.com/albums/aa54/CydSA/my%20art/?action=view&current=divider-Mal.png)

**The Gang's All Here**

Somehow, he managed to get up in time for school and found Matt and Anoop waiting for him near the huge flag pole in front of the main building.

"Hey!" Matt called and waved him over.

"Morning," Kris said and Anoop nodded at him, head down and fingers flying over the keyboard of a lap top.

"Apparently there was a scuffle in the streets last night," Matt whispered, looking carefully around him.

Kris kept his face impassive. "Really? A scuffle?" he asked and Matt nodded vigorously, missing the ironic tone.

"Anoop's just checking the net for scoop." He stared at Kris. "You didn't hear anything?"

Kris shook his head. "Nah, I sleep like a stone," he said.

Anoop looked up. "You're a slayer," he stated and bent his head back to his computer.

"What?" Kris gaped and stuttered, "I don't know what you're talking about."

Anoop stared up at him again, fixed him with liquid dark eyes and said, "I do my research. I told you, come over and see my basement sometime." He flashed a grin. "The Internet knows things," he told Kris. "Welcome to Conway, slayer."

"How did you...?" Kris asked then shook his head, grumbling, "Technology is not always a good thing."

Matt was gaping at Kris. "You're a slayer?" he breathed, eyes bright with excitement, "Oh man, I knew you were awesome the moment I met you!"

Kris opened his mouth to protest and then felt a cool hand on his shoulder. "Morning," Adam said, soft and silky.

Kris couldn't move, couldn't say a word as Adam crowded him from behind. Matt and Anoop were staring at Adam.

"Hi Matt, Anoop," Adam nodded at each of them and smiled, all harmless charm.

"Um, hi," Matt swallowed, eyes wide. "You know my name?" He sounded half thrilled, half terrified at the thought.

Kris did not roll his eyes. It hurt his head, but he managed to stop himself.

Adam's big hand squeezed. "I know everyone's name here at Conway High," he said. Kris thought it sounded kind of evil. Then Adam laughed. "I've been around a while. I make it my business to know who is in my spaces."

"So, is it true that you can hear what people are thinking?" Matt asked and Anoop listened as well.

"Sometimes," Adam tipped his head, "It all depends on how well I know them. Although, with my friends, I don't even try," he added.

"Well, you're not really friendly," Anoop said suddenly. Kris thought about stepping in to protect his very new friend.

"You're right," Adam admitted, "and now I'm doing something about that." The cool line of his body moved away from Kris' back and he called, "Alli! Cook! Come over here!"

Kris turned slowly, not at all edging nearer to Adam, no way, no how, and watched as a short girl and well built guy walked slowly toward them. They moved with the grace of their kind, all slithery and slinky and Kris reminded his brain not to think of them as undead.

"I can hear your thoughts you know," Adam whispered in his ear. "You're practically shouting them."

"Shut up," Kris told him out of the corner of his mouth. "You're being rude, I did not invite you to listen to my brain."

"But it's the only way I get to know exactly what you think about me," Adam protested, utterly unapologetic.

"Get out of my head," Kris snarled and pasted on a smile when Adam's nest came over.

"Hey, mi amigos!" Allison, or Alli as Adam called her, had brain-burning red hair and a bright smile that just invited you to adore her. Kris was going to have to work hard on that. Holy crap, when had it become so hard to identify the vampires as the bad guys?

"Slayer," Cook nodded at him and then smiled at Matt and Anoop, "I don't believe we've met officially, I'm David Cook."

"Hey," Kris said and stuck out his hand. Seriously, this Conway place was a weird-ass town. Vampires shaking hands instead of using fangs.

"I can still hear you," Adam said, big body back tightly against Kris' side.

"I don't care," Kris told him and practically dripped defiance.

"You're kind of little," Alli observed, tilting her head to one side and staring at him. "And not really scary." She sounded almost apologetic.

"I get that a lot," Kris told her with a sigh, "and they're still confused when I stake them." Alli clutched at her chest dramatically and Kris groaned. "You've been around him way too long," he told her, pointing at Adam.

"I'm scared of you," Cook said and his laconic tone indicated that he was anything but. "Really," he insisted when Kris eyed him sceptically. "Ooh," he shivered and Kris gritted his teeth.

"Thanks a lot," he hissed at Adam who shrugged.

"Not my fault you're not exactly intimidating."

"If you would stop hovering over me then I wouldn't look so short," Kris said, narrowing his eyes.

"I like hovering," Adam said and grinned, "I could move closer if you like."

"Cut it out!" Kris said and turned to Matt and Anoop who were watching their exchange in fascination. Kris noted the same fascination on Cook and Alli's faces. "You're being pushy."

"I've learned to be pushy if I want to get what I want," Adam told him.

Kris scowled. "I think we need to have a chat about the natural order of things," he said and then the school bell went.

[ ](http://s200.photobucket.com/albums/aa54/CydSA/my%20art/?action=view&current=divider-Mal.png)

Kris went to school because his mama made him go. He wasn't the greatest student, but he got by.

He'd liked his school in LA but had never made friends. He'd learned pretty early on in his career, thanks to Simon Cowell, watcher and asshole extraordinaire, that slayers tended to have a short life span. So he'd grown up quickly, learning to hunt and kill with impunity. He hadn't felt like a kid for a very long time.

When Crowley and his nest had arrived, Kris had spent long nights on patrol, fighting and killing and doing what he could to stem the tide of evil power. Eventually Cowell had sent out an SOS to the Council and Faith had arrived with a group of eager girls and together they'd managed to stop Crowley.

Not before he'd burned the school to the ground. And made sure that Kris was the one who looked like the guilty party.

Thanks to Cowell, the Council and his parents, he'd just been expelled. Not that it held much water with the school being burned to the ground and all.

Somehow here, in Conway, he'd managed to almost acquire not only a circle of friends who knew his secrets but thought he was cool because of them. He'd also managed to acquire an amorous vampire which was a scenario he was totally unequipped to handle. Stakes, knives, crossbows, that he knew; boys, not so much.

When it came to music though, things were different. If he hadn't been born a slayer, he'd have dreamed of a musical career.

He walked into the music room and stopped in amazement when he saw the trio of vampires laughing with a slight, pretty, dark –haired boy.

"Kris!" Adam called and waved him over. "Come and meet Archie."

The boy smiled, soft and shy and sidled closer to Cook. "Hi," he almost whispered and curved into Cook's side.

Kris' eyebrows rose. "He's not one of you," he stated.

Adam shook his head. "Nope, but he is Cook's…" he paused, "let's just leave it at 'he's Cook's', shall we?"

Cook smiled at him, a plain warning for Kris to back off. Kris wasn't sure whether he should laugh or tell Archie that he had nothing to worry about.

"Do you know what he is?" Kris asked the boy, tipping his head towards Cook, who edged even closer.

"Yes," Archie said and then his mouth thinned. "I know what _you_ are too," he told him, defiant. "You'd better not hurt Cook."

Kris suppressed his grin. This group were really turning everything he knew about vamps on its head. "I'll do my best," he promised the unsmiling face, "but if I find out he's biting you then all bets are off."

The bright blush that flooded Archie's face made Kris pause and Cook turned away and started laughing. "What?" he asked and looked at Adam who was smiling widely.

"You really don't know that much about us, do you?" he asked instead.

Kris objected, "I am a slayer, of course I know everything," he paused and then amended, "well, nearly everything there is to know about vampires."

Adam looked at him. "Oh really?" he drawled, "like there are some of us who co-exist pretty easily with humans?" Kris glared. "Or that there are some who prefer _not_ to kill people?" Kris felt his eyes narrow. "Or maybe the fact that part of the sexual act is biting?"

That last one made Kris' mouth drop open. "Are you being serious?" he asked and then shut it again. "I don't want to know," he said quickly.

Adam grinned wider. "Oh, but you do, slayer," he purred. "What if you see Cook biting Archie and the yen to stake him becomes too much to bear? It would be a cruel, cruel thing to kill a boy in the middle of an org…mmff." Kris put his hand over Adam's mouth.

"I. Don't. Want. To. Know." Kris growled and then yanked his hand away when he felt a cool, wet lick across his palm. "I am really beginning to dislike you," he told Adam.

"You're already crazy about me," Adam told him, "I can tell." He leaned in and whispered, "I can smell too."

"That is just gross," Kris told him and stalked to the front of the classroom and introduced himself to the teacher, Ms Abdul. She seemed a little flaky but when Kris told her he played the piano, viola and guitar, her eyes went bright.

"Wonderful!" she exclaimed. "Cook, here's someone else who can play the guitar." She waved at Cook who strolled over and grinned at Kris.

"You play electric?" he drawled.

Kris nodded. "Acoustic too," he said and they smiled at each other. He spotted Adam out of the corner of his eye and no, he wasn't looking for him darn it, and the freckled mouth was pouty. "What's with him?" he asked Cook as they exchanged chords and tinkered with a melody.

Cook glanced at Adam. "He's a possessive fucker," he shrugged, "plus he's used to getting his own way. A lot."

Kris looked down at the strings and suppressed his grin. "I guess he'd better get used to not getting everything he wants," he said.

"He's got you, slayer, you're gagging for him already," Cook told him with a smoky laugh and Kris scowled.

"Do any of you understand that a slayer and a vampire being together is an impossible thing?" He tried for casual but obviously failed as Cook chuckled.

"You don't know Adam," Cook said.

"What don't you know about me?" Adam's voice was light and amused but his eyes were hard.

Kris jumped a bit; he'd been too busy talking to Cook to be aware of Adam sneaking up on him and snorted. "I already know more than I want to."

Adam dropped a big hand on the back of Kris' neck and he shuddered, totally against his will. "Liar," he murmured against Kris' ear. "Mind reading remember?"

"Not fair," Kris glared at him and then Archie came over and sat down next to Cook, making an extremely obvious statement of ownership. Cook shrugged at Kris' questioning gaze.

"He's a possessive fucker too," Cook said cheerfully and Kris started laughing, all the while conscious of the cool hand on his skin, one long finger slowly stroking at the vein running down the side of his neck.

"Let it be," Adam breathed into his ear. "Just let me enjoy touching you like this." Kris took a sharp breath.

"I've got you, pretty boy," Adam told him, voice a low rumble, his other hand resting on the curve of Kris' waist. "Give yourself to the music and let me worry about the big bad for a while."

And despite every cell in his body screaming for him to run like hell, Kris let himself lean back, lean into the long line of Adam's body and for the first time in a very long time, stopped being a slayer.

[ ](http://s200.photobucket.com/albums/aa54/CydSA/my%20art/?action=view&current=divider-Mal.png)

**Ding Dong the Witch is Gone**

Kris kicked at the leaves swirling around his feet. The street was dark and quiet and all the house lights were off. Smart people were fast asleep. Him, not so much. He had company, unwanted company in the form of his Watcher.

Ryan was walking with him, pompously instructing Kris as to his slayer technique. He hadn't spotted the small ear bud in Kris' other ear. Kris was playing AC/DC's "Thunderstruck" and was praying for actual thunder to strike.

"I should give you some martial arts instruction some time this week," Ryan said and Kris rolled his eyes. "You may not be aware of this, but I am a ninth dan in karate." He pronounced it 'karra-tay' like the pretentious ass he was and Kris did his best not to smirk.

"Sure," he said instead, "I'd like a sparring partner."

"You rang?" The soft voice made Kris's heart skip and Ryan spun around in a wild circle, arms and legs flailing like some sort of mad spider.

"Hey Adam," Kris greeted him, trying for nonchalance.

"Slayer," he smiled and then looked at a pale Ryan. "I don't believe we've been officially introduced," he said and the smile he gave Ryan was very different to the one he'd given Kris. "I'm Adam Lambert."

He held out his hand and Ryan placed his limply in it. "Ryan Seacrest," he stuttered. "I'm…"

"A watcher," Adam supplied helpfully when it appeared as though Ryan was stumbling over exactly what he wanted to tell Adam. "The last watcher I met was pretty tasty."

Ryan squeaked and looked at Kris and then pointed at Adam with a trembling finger. "Stake!" he shouted.

"Rare please," Adam said with a nasty little grin, "I like my meat still moving."

Kris glared at Adam. "Will you stop being such a dickhead?" he asked, exasperated.

Adam looked at him, eyes almost silver in the moonlight. "But I'm having fun," he whined and then pouted as Kris refused to back down. "Fine, but you're being a total buzzkill dude," he drawled the words and sounded like any other eighteen year old teenager. The wicked twinkle in his eyes told Kris that he lied.

Kris snorted and looked at Ryan. "He's one of the good guys," he told his watcher and sent a sceptical glance at Adam, "I think."

Adam put a dramatic hand to his heart. "Just call me sugar, cos I'm real sweet," he declared earnestly and Kris started laughing. Adam beamed at him and grabbed his hand. "The moonlight is soooo romantic," he crooned and dragged Kris down the street with him.

Ryan stood staring after them and Kris tossed him an apologetic wave over his shoulder. "I'll see you tomorrow, Ryan!" he called as Adam towed him along.

"Just for the record," Ryan called back, "I do **not** encourage this collaboration!"

Adam stopped and turned slowly, suddenly all predator. "And just what are you going to do about it, watcher?" he hissed and the noise carried through the night. Nothing else dared to make a sound.

Ryan fled in the opposite direction. "They're going to stop believing that you're not dangerous," Kris told him as they walked together.

Adam shrugged. "I've stopped worrying about what the people in this town think of me. As long as they keep supplying my friends and me with blood, we won't have any issues."

Kris felt a moment of concern and asked, "What happens if they can't or decide not to feed you any more?"

Adam stared out into the night and his cheekbones were sharp blades in profile. "Oh, they'll feed me," he said, implacable. "One way or another, they'll feed me."

Kris tried to tug his hand away but Adam tightened his fingers. "You're not helping my first inclination, which is to shove a piece of wood in your heart," Kris growled and eventually managed to get free.

The vampire turned charming again. His grin was evil and sexual and terrifying as he said, "I'd like to shove wood in your…"

Kris kicked him in the balls and stalked off. He heard the pained wheeze behind him and smirked to himself. "You're just going to leave me here?" Adam called, voice about two octaves higher than normal.

"Yes," Kris told him and carried on walking.

"That was entertaining." The sugar sweet voice stopped him in his tracks. Katherine stood under a street lamp, hair shining dull gold in the lamp light. There were about fifteen minions spread out around and next to her. Kris wasn't entirely sure he could handle them all. But he would try.

Kris froze, body already tensed for action. "I'm glad you enjoyed the show," Kris said and told himself that he didn't feel his body relax slightly when Adam glided up next to him.

"Adam," she looked at him, eyes wide and dark and Kris felt a little shiver skitter across his shoulders. "why are you toying with the slayer?" She seemed genuinely confused.

Adam sent a sideways glance at Kris. "Right now, I couldn't begin to tell you why," he drawled.

Kris snorted. "I only hurt your ego, not your nuts," he told him. "You heal fast."

Adam's eyes narrowed. "You're begging for it, aren't you?" he asked.

Kris shrugged. "Hey, if you can't handle the heat…"

"While this little lovers' spat is all too interesting," Katherine broke into their conversation. "Do you perhaps think we could get back to the business of our…" she looked vaguely confused, "business," she eventually trailed off.

Kris heard Adam's giggle. Honestly, he was the strangest vampire Kris had ever met. "Sure," he said and pulled out his trusty stake. The group of vamps around their mistress flinched as one. It made Kris feel awesome.

"Prepare to die, slayer," Katherine intoned and Adam giggled again. Her gaze snapped to him. "What is so amusing?" she asked.

Adam stifled his laughter. "Well, you didn't think we'd come alone did you?" he asked her and called, "Guys, come on out!"

They came out from behind trees, cars, dust bins and garden walls. Cook, Alli and Archie were the first to come and stand with them. Kris spotted Anoop and Matt and a gorgeous blond girl that they both hovered over protectively. He guessed that it must be Megan.

There were a bunch more people that Kris didn't know but who all carried weapons of some kind, prepared to defend their homes. He recognized a few of the students he'd spotted around school. This was a very strange town.

"We like Conway the way it is," Adam said and looked around at the people and vampires standing behind Kris and next to him. "I told you when I paid tribute, that it was a quiet town."

"And that's the way it's going to stay," Matt called and then ducked behind Adam's broad shoulders when Katherine's dark gaze pinned him. "I'll just shut up now," he mumbled to Adam's back.

Kris was dazed and utterly bewildered. He'd been a kid when the Original Slayer, Buffy Summers, had shared her power with all who carried the kernel of slayer-powers within them. In the thirteen years since then, nothing he'd faced or killed or hunted had prepared him for this moment.

"So you're telling me that the whole town will fight alongside you?" Katherine's voice was scornful. "Humans and vampires were never meant to co-exist. They are our food and you are keeping them as pets."

"Hey!" Archie glared at her. "I'm not a pet, Cook is my boyfriend." Then he blushed and sank back against a grinning Cook and buried his face against Cook's shoulder. "Shut up," he moaned as Cook's shoulder shook.

"As you can see," Adam gestured to the crowd around them, "we are prepared to fight. And due to numbers, we will probably win."

Katherine frowned. "But many will die," she pointed out.

"Collateral damage," Adam shrugged and Kris kicked his ankle. "Ow! What is it with you and your constant attempts to cripple me?" He glared at Kris who glared back at him.

"They are people, asshat, not collateral damage," Kris told him through gritted teeth.

Adam sighed in exasperation, "People, yes of course they're people, I'm not a complete idiot. What I was trying to say is that in war there are casualties. We're prepared for that."

He and Kris stared at each other. "Well then say that, and don't make like death is just something that can be shrugged off."

"Baby," Adam said, and held Kris' gaze, "I don't want _anyone_ to die, which is why we're doing the dramatic gesture thing."

"Don't call me baby," Kris mumbled, cheeks hot.

"Oh for Pete's sake!" Katherine exclaimed, "I am going to get cavities from the sugar overload!" She flicked her wrist at the vampires in her nest. "Go on, take your fill," she told them, voice chilling.

Kris and Adam whirled back to back and faced the enemy. Kris saw Anoop and Matt place Megan between them and then tried not to laugh when she boxed Matt's ears and pinched Anoop's arm and shoved her way out from between them, wooden peg in one shaking hand.

He saw Cook and Archie share a look, such love and care passing between them in a glance, Cook ran a hand down Archie's cheek and then he handed him a sharply carved stake and stood ready.

He watched bright-haired Allison tie back her hair in a pony-tail, face determined. Ryan stepped up next to her, eyes hard and he nodded to her and then met Kris' gaze with a rueful smile. Kris couldn't stop his mouth curving in return.

Then Katherine's minions were on them and there was only blood and dust; screaming and grunting and dying.

He felt the hail of dust engulf him and Adam called to him urgently and then he was in steel hard arms and he heard Katherine hiss into his ear, "You look like the perfect little man but you're a great deal of trouble, aren't you slayer?"

"Kris!" Adam's voice was frantic and Kris saw him stop when Katherine tightened her grasp on him and rested her mouth at his neck.

"Not one more step, Adam," she cautioned and if it were possible, Adam went even paler. "You and your kin care far too much for these humans. They are meat and you should not be forming relationships with them." Kris felt razor sharp teeth graze his jugular and knew that one quick move and she could rip his throat out.

"Please," Adam begged and Kris was furious. Adam was his to tease, to play with. Adam didn't belong to this bitch with perfect hair and perfect skin. He may not understand everything he felt for Adam just yet, and that was a whole other week's worth of thinking, but he knew that Adam was good and kind and funny and harmless.

He looked at Adam, at the teeth bared at Katherine in rage and amended that. Almost harmless. Semi-harmless maybe. But he was _his_ semi-harmless vampire and no one got to make him beg for anything.

He sagged suddenly in her arms, going boneless and heavy and for just a moment her grasp loosened in surprise. He dropped to the ground, out of her lax arms grabbed at her legs. She went down with a shriek and in a moment he was on top of her, stake at her heart.

"Call them off," he ordered, letting her see death in his eyes.

"No," she defied him even as her eyes went black with fear.

"I will kill you where you lie," he told her and pressed the tip of the stake to her chest. He felt the soft give of skin and watched her face turn blind in panic.

"Stop! All of you! Stop this second!" she screamed and the sounds ceased.

"Adam," Kris called and Adam was next to him in an instant.

"Here," he said, dropping a hand on to Kris' shoulder. "It's a good thing I can read your mind or I might have embarrassed myself when I saw you drop like that."

Kris didn't let his gaze leave Katherine's frightened face. "You need to tell me if we've lost anyone," he told Adam. The vampire, nodded, moved away and Kris stayed right where he was, watching Katherine intently.

"Adam!" he called when he didn't hear from him.

"Don't get your panties in a twist," Adam called back, "I'm busy." Kris wanted to roll his eyes and then yell at Adam for being such a smart ass in this sort of situation.

"Is everyone okay?" he asked, anxious.

Cook and Archie appeared next to him and Cook said quietly, "Matt got a bite, not bad but your Watcher is taking care of it. Otherwise, the only dead are hers." He looked down at Katherine with a scornful curve to his lips. "You're not a credit to our kind," he said.

"I am a master vampire," she spat.

"With a slayer sitting on top of you and a stake at your heart," Cook pointed out. Kris watched the skin across her face whiten and tighten and felt her muscles bunch beneath him.

"Nuh-uh!" he chided, shaking his head firmly. "Don't even think about it."

"I second that, he may be small, but he's sneaky." Adam was back at Kris' side and grinning at him.

Kris beamed back at him. "Thanks," he said, a small swell of pride in his chest.

Katherine made a hacking noise. "Ugh, you make me sick," she groaned. Her eyes grew calculating. "If I promise to leave by sunrise, will you let me go?"

Kris exchanged a glance with Adam. Adam's face was impassive but Kris could see the twitch of his hands.

"I'm a slayer, I don't make deals with vampires," he told her. He watched, almost absently noting the change in her face, from calculation to seduction.

"What if I teach you how to make a grown woman," her gaze went to Adam, "or man cry with the best sex ever."

Kris felt himself blush. There went detachment. "Um…thanks, but no thanks. I'm sure I'll manage by myself."

Adam made a sort of snorting noise behind his hand. Kris glared at him. "I _will_!" he insisted.

"Of course," Adam agreed and his eyes went almost silver as he looked down at Katherine. "You could have just left when we told you that Conway wasn't a town that wanted more vampires," he told her.

Katherine scowled. "I didn't become a Master vampire by listening to every flunky that told me to do things," she pointed out.

"No," Kris agreed, "but if you'd listened to Adam then you wouldn't be here now."

Katherine's face turned desperate. "I have money, lots of it. If you let me go I'll make sure you never have to worry about anything ever again." Her voice was urgent. "I'll give you vampires to serve you, obey your every whim."

Adam was statue-still and he told Kris, "She's not lying, she'll give you anything you want."

Kris looked at him, saw behind the mask, saw the man Adam had once been. He looked down at Katherine, saw behind the mask, saw the woman she had once been.

There wasn't really a choice here. Even though he was briefly tempted to ensure his family's security forever.

Kris thought about it. Thought about the nest that would go with her and the people she'd already killed. Thought about the damage she would do wherever she ended up.

"No." And he pushed down, hard, and she screamed and turned to dust.

[ ](http://s200.photobucket.com/albums/aa54/CydSA/my%20art/?action=view&current=divider-Mal.png)

**Romeo and Julian, aka Rhett and Scarlett**

They made short work of the few remaining vampires of Katherine's nest and slowly the townsfolk drifted off to their homes and beds.

Ryan shook Kris' hand, smiling a little. "You handled yourself very well, Kris," he said and then added, "although I'm sure I could give you a few pointers with regards to escaping when a vampire…" he trailed off at Kris' glare. "On the other hand, you dusted her so I suppose the how is not important," he added hastily.

"Thanks," Kris said, "and thanks for coming back here, helping us fight, it was cool."

"Yes," Ryan said, "it was cool." They exchanged grins and then Ryan offered Adam his hand. "I am still not convinced that any vampire is capable of not feeding on actual human blood coming out of actual humans…" he stepped back when Adam gave a low growl, "but if anyone can do it, I'm sure you can!" And he gave a little wave and scurried off home.

Matt, Anoop and Megan came over to them, cheeks flushed with excitement. Matt was cradling his one arm a little and Megan and Anoop were holding hands.

"That was the awesomest thing in the history of awesome things!" Matt declared and winced. "Apart from the not so awesome thing of being bitten," he amended.

"You okay?" Kris asked and Matt nodded, pulling back his jacket sleeve and showing the jagged slash in his arm.

"Ryan put something on it and it's numb so it's all good." He grinned. "It'll probably hurt like a bitch tomorrow."

"Yeah," Kris agreed, "the not so fun part of vampire hunting."

Anoop's eyes were bright with glee. "Man, I wish I'd had a camera," he mourned, "I would have got the coolest pictures for my basement."

Megan sent him a startled look and Kris laughed. "Sorry about that," he said, "but with the fighting and the killing and shit, I didn't remember my camera."

"Why do you want photos for your basement?" Megan asked and Matt wrapped his good arm around her shoulders.

"That now, Miss Megan, is a story that would take a few hours," he told her and she frowned.

"Ignore him," Anoop told her and tugged her away from Matt, scowling at him. "Get your own," he said.

"Hey!" Megan exclaimed, "not deaf or a chew toy!"

Kris felt the little tug at the back of his neck and leaned back into Adam. "Hey," Adam whispered into his ear.

"Hey," Kris said back.

Archie and Cook were talking to Allison and Kris watched as the bright red head came up and her gaze fixed on Adam. She nodded and went over to Matt. "Come on, hero," she coaxed, "let's get you home before you turn into a pumpkin."

Matt looked at her and Kris could have sworn he actually saw the brain cogs clicking into gear. "Matt…" he called and stopped at the gentle hand on his neck.

"He'll be fine," Adam assured him. "Alli's been around for a few decades now, she's still an old fashioned girl at heart. She'll ask politely before she has him."

Kris opened his mouth to warn Matt and closed it again when he looked at the delighted expression on his face. He sighed. "Shit," he muttered. "This is getting messy."

"Relationships are messy, pretty Kris," Adam murmured. "No matter the species, they're all messy." Kris watched Matt wrap an arm around Alli and join Megan and Anoop, heading down the street and disappearing from view.

"You're going to be difficult, aren't you?" Cook asked him and Kris turned to look at him.

"What do you mean?" he asked. He was stupidly aware that Adam was listening to them.

Cook sighed. "He wants you," he said, nodding at Adam, "but he's the gentlemanly type, he's going to wait for you to make the first move." Adam's lips twitched in an aborted grin.

"What?" Kris asked, mouth dropping open. "He's made _every_ move so far. He's like a leopard he's been stalking me so hard!" He glared hard at Adam.

Adam shrugged. "A couple of kisses and some innuendo, that's not really stalking you know." His mouth was quirked in a slight smile that Kris couldn't read.

"So if I ask you to back off?" Kris wanted to push for some reason, see how far he could go. Cook watched them both, gaze flickering between them.

"Not going anywhere," Adam told him cheerfully.

Kris sighed. "I thought so," he muttered and glared at Cook. "I don't think he's going to wait," he offered.

Cook nodded, face thoughtful, eyes dancing. "You could be right about that, Slayer," he admitted and then he sobered. "You did well tonight," he said, "you held your own and fought with honour."

Kris held out his hand. "Thanks for backing me up," he said.

"I back _him_ up," Cook corrected, looking at Adam. "He's my Maker and my friend. I would get myself dusted before I would desert him in a fight."

Kris could appreciate loyalty. He saw that in Archie's face and more. He saw love and devotion as he came up behind Cook and slipped his hand into Cook's. "Thank you for helping," Kris said to the boy.

"You're welcome," Archie responded politely but his attention was focused on Cook. "Can we go now?" he asked and Cook smiled gently at him.

"Sure, baby," he said and clapped Adam on the shoulder. "See you at school?" he asked.

Adam nodded. "I swear, this is my last year of high school," he grinned. "I'm 'graduating' this year."

Cook laughed. "You say that now," he said.

Adam looked at Kris. "I've found something else to keep me interested," he murmured. Kris blushed and Cook and Archie left them alone.

"So," Kris started and Adam kissed him. Kris let himself sink into Adam's mouth, Adam's arms and he just allowed himself to feel.

Adam's skin was cool but his mouth was hot and he pulled Kris against him, arms wrapping around him and lifting up on his toes. Kris heard a muffled groan and wondered idly if it was Adam or him who'd made it.

"Me," Adam whispered against his lips in answer and speared his tongue into Kris' mouth.

Kris felt his muscles seize and start shaking. Adam was like a drug. He just wanted more.

"Adam," he tried to talk but his lips felt swollen and his tongue two sizes too big for his mouth.

"What?" Adam asked as he moved that talented tongue to the salt-sweet sweat that coated his neck. He made another appreciative noise as he licked one long strip from Kris' collarbone to below his jaw. "Yum," he breathed, "you taste wonderful."

"Um," Kris said weakly and he knew what was going to happen even before it did. Adam moved to the vein beating strongly in Kris' throat and, snake-swift, bit down. Kris couldn't stop himself, he bowed back, hanging in Adam's arms and moaning.

Adam's mouth suckled at the bite and Kris closed his eyes and felt the euphoria of the vampire bite grab him and shake him.

This was why slayers and vampires together made for a bad….Kris came, shouting, just at the touch of Adam's mouth on his skin, teeth in his throat.

Adam pulled away, breathing harshly and said, "Now you know why vampire bites are not always a bad thing."

Kris was a limp noodle in Adam's arms, muscles sloppy and fluid, and his head dropped forward to rest on Adam's chest. "Huh," he said, "gives a whole new meaning to the term 'love bite'." He felt Adam's silent laughter shake them both.

"Come on, slayer," Adam said, smile evident in his voice, "Let's get you to bed."

"Okay," Kris agreed and felt his feet go out from under him as Adam swept him up. "Oh God," he moaned, "No, please don't do this, put me down, man, it's so embarrassing." When Adam ignored him, Kris decided to make the most of it and tucked his hot forehead into the cool curve of Adam's neck.

"Hush, you," Adam remonstrated, "let me play the Rhett to your Scarlett."

Kris gave a weak giggle. "Frankly my dear," he began and Adam kissed him quiet again.

Adam made his way back to Kris' house, still cradling Kris close. Kris looped his arms around Adam's neck and lay against him, not caring whether it was coming down from the adrenalin rush of the fight or the loss of blood or that he was acting like a teenage girl in the throes of her first crush.

"Wake up, pretty baby," Adam crooned and Kris opened his eyes with difficulty.

"I'm home?" he asked, yawning and looking around, a little confused.

"You are," Adam told him and placed him carefully on the bed. "I have a way to go yet."

"You wanna stay?" Kris asked, eyes halfway closed again.

Adam's laugh was a light rumble, "I would _love_ to stay but I'm the kind of guy who likes my lover to be awake when I kiss him."

"'Kay," Kris mumbled into his pillow and felt the stroke of a big hand down the back of his neck to the slope of his hips. "Thanks."

"My pleasure," Adam assured him. "Sleep sweet, I'll see you in the morning." He pressed a soft, completely pg-rated kiss to Kris' temple and Kris dropped into oblivion.

[ ](http://s200.photobucket.com/albums/aa54/CydSA/my%20art/?action=view&current=divider-Mal.png)

**Love Bites and other Misconceptions**

Kris thought about skipping school, but then his Mama came in and ordered him out of bed. He grumbled but obeyed and dragged himself into the shower, through breakfast and into his car.

His limbs felt heavy and his eyelids wanted to close. He wondered if it was the after-effect of the vampire bite.

His mind swerved away from the thought. He'd not only let a vampire bite him, he'd enjoyed it.

He pulled into the school car parking lot and took a few deep breaths, leaning his forehead on the steering wheel. Then he almost jumped out of his skin at the sharp rap on his window. He might have made an undignified squeaking noise that was not Slayer cool.

"Dude!" Matt exclaimed and waved his bandaged hand at him.

"Hey," Kris said and climbed out of the car. "How's that bite?"

Matt looked down at it and then grinned at Kris. "It's earning me major points with the ladies."

Kris snorted a laugh and then dropped an arm across Matt's shoulders. "Glad to hear your close encounter of the dangerous kind left you brain damaged." Matt laughed as well as they made their way to the school entrance.

"Nah," he said, "It's given me street cred." He puffed his chest out.

"Yes, you are street," Anoop's voice was dry as he and Megan joined them. The blond was plastered up against Anoop, their hands clasped tightly. Kris grinned. Good things had come of the battle for Conway.

"Not exactly a battle," Adam stated, gliding up to them, Cook, Archie and Allison close behind. "Good morning, all," his smile encompassed all of them.

Matt stuttered a bit and then blushed when Alli blew him a mischievous kiss. "Um…hi," he said.

Kris glared at Adam. "Stop rummaging around in my head, man!" he ordered.

Adam grinned and this time the smile was all for Kris. "But it's such a pretty head," he said and Kris watched Matt and Anoop's eyes flicker between them. He knew the precise moment that his new friends put the pieces together.

"Oh," Anoop said.

"Right on," Matt said and held up his hand, two fingers extended in a peace sign, "I'm cool with it, man love is in!" And then he paled when he caught Cook's narrow gaze. "Seriously, dude. More chicks for me."

Kris wondered idly if Matt was going to make it to twenty one.

"Not if he carries on opening his mouth just to change feet," Adam said, eyes glittering. "Morning, slayer," and the asshole leaned down and kissed him in front of everyone.

"I hate you," Kris glowered when Adam pulled away. The smug grin was just begging to be smacked off.

"Don't do it," Adam told him, "It will hurt you more than it will hurt me." Kris stomped off to his first class.

Matt raced after him, Anoop and Megan following more slowly. "So you and Adam, you're like…um…together?" he asked.

Kris sighed. "Me and Adam, we're like…man, I have no freaking idea what we are!" He threw his hands up in the air in frustration.

Matt bumped shoulders. "He's cool though," he offered.

Kris allowed a small smile to curl his mouth. "Yeah, he's cool," he agreed and could have sworn he heard soft laughter in his head. "For a vamp," he amended.

[ ](http://s200.photobucket.com/albums/aa54/CydSA/my%20art/?action=view&current=divider-Mal.png)

He managed to avoid Adam for the rest of the day. Or Adam let him. Kris wasn't sure which. He couldn't avoid the hand shakes and shoulder punches and congratulatory high-fives of the students though, as he made his way through the day.

Those that had been there last night, joined in the fight, had spread the word. Now it seemed, that everyone knew who he was, what he was. He'd spent so much of his life in the shadows, not being part of the whole. And now he was known, his position celebrated and it felt like he was in someone else's skin.

The bite mark on his neck had been a topic of intense interest to his friends. He'd met Archie's eyes across the classroom and the sly grin on that wide mouth had made Kris blush furiously. Archie knew exactly what had happened to him last night. Well, Kris amended mentally, maybe not exactly, but close enough.

"I'm not talking about it," he grumbled at Matt for the tenth time.

"Come on, man," Matt begged, "Archie can't even say the word bite and he almost passes out from blushing." Matt's eyes were pleading. "I need to know if me and Alli are going to…" he waggled his eyebrows.

"I do not want to know," Kris told him and ignored him for the rest of the class.

Music was the last class of the day and he sank into his seat with relief. Ms. Abdul patted his shoulder with a smile and a whispered 'thank you' and then clapped for everyone's attention.

"Settle down, everyone," she called, "Come on, I know its Friday but can we at least try to get something done today?"

Cook dropped into the chair next to Kris, guitar already in hand. "Hey," he smirked, "nice hickey."

Kris kicked at his chair until Cook toppled off. "Shut up," he growled.

Cook clambered back up, grin still firmly in place. "Guess you had a good time, huh?"

Kris picked up his own guitar and made a great production of tuning it. He honestly didn't know what was worse, no one knowing who and what he was, or everyone knowing it.

"Had a fun day, pretty boy?" Adam asked, sitting down on his other side.

Apart from a snort, Kris didn't answer.

"Mind reading," Adam supplied helpfully and Kris kept his head down. "Fine," Adam said eventually, "I'll just ask you stuff and you can answer me with your brain."

"Not now," Kris muttered out of the side of his mouth. "For Pete's sake, man, just give me some space already." He sounded desperate and Adam must have realised it.

"Sure," he said easily, "I'll back off." His face was a mask as he stood up and walked to Allison and Matt and joined them with an amiable smile.

The problem was, Kris felt Adam's absence like a hole in his head. It was as though a piece that had always been there was suddenly gone. It was weird and freaky and Kris felt the first stirrings of panic.

"You've hurt him," Cook told him, voice sombre.

"I don't even know him!" Kris exclaimed, frustrated.

"Dude," Cook remonstrated and looked at him.

Kris felt his cheeks heat and he dropped his gaze. "He makes me feel things," Kris muttered, "but he's a vampire and he's way older than me and he's what I've been taught to hunt and kill my whole life."

"For such a tough little slayer, you're a bit of a pussy when it comes to feelings," Cook said and Kris scowled, even though Cook had sounded kind.

"I'm not used to all this…" Kris flailed his hands around and Cook raised an eyebrow.

"I've not been human for a long time, Slayer, but I recognize loneliness." The vampire smiled sympathetically. "You've been fighting this battle on your own for a while now, with just a watcher knowing who you really are."

Kris nodded. "Yeah, and now _everyone_ knows and it's freaking me out."

Cook smiled. "Look at the bright side," he offered, "you're not alone now."

Kris dropped his eyes to the guitar and strummed a few idle chords. "I can't feel him there anymore." He spoke before his brain told him to shut the fuck up.

"You asked for space," Cook pointed out, "he's giving you space." He put a hand on Kris' shoulder. "Contrary to what the Watcher's Council has told you, vampires are not soulless monsters."

Kris shook his head. "I can't." He looked back up at Cook and looked into dark, endless eyes. "I just can't."

"Okay," Cook shrugged. "I told you before, it's your move."

Ms. Abdul then clapped her hands and told them that they would be having a pop quiz on reading music. The resulting groans from the students hid the small sound Kris made when Adam brushed against him on his way to a desk.

He reached out as Adam walked past and squeezed his hand. Adam looked down, surprised and then Kris watched a slow, sweet smile cross his face as he squeezed back. Instant forgiveness was something Kris wasn't used to.

He totally did **not** check out Adam's ass. At all.

[ ](http://s200.photobucket.com/albums/aa54/CydSA/my%20art/?action=view&current=divider-Mal.png)

Kris spent the weekend helping his parents with chores around the house. He mowed the lawn, helped his mama hang the curtains in the guest room, painted the fence in front of the house (white picket fence for God's sake) and generally drove his parents crazy. They spent a lot of time hinting broadly for him to get out and go and do something somewhere. He didn't want to go anywhere.

Kris had only known Adam for a few days, so it wasn't really possible that he missed him already. Monday came and Kris was almost ready to climb the walls.

He got to school and was greeted eagerly by his new friends. It looked like the Megan-Anoop relationship had become solid over the weekend. He didn't ask Matt about Allison. He really didn't want to know.

He walked to class with them, looking surreptitiously around him, trying to spot the vampires. They were nowhere to be seen. Matt and Anoop were cool guys and they knew that he was a slayer, but Adam was a super-strong, super-fast, supernatural creature who could play on the same field as Kris and not get hurt.

And Adam was avoiding him.

"Are you twelve?" Kris hissed at him when they gathered in the gym for class.

Adam glanced at him, a brief sweep of bright eyes from head to toe and he turned away. "Maybe thirteen," he replied and watched as the gym teacher, a big, well-built guy who the kids all called Sarver, asked for a volunteer.

"How about you, Kris?" Sarver looked at him, almost a challenge in his face. Kris sighed.

"Sure," he said and stepped forward.

"So, we're going to work on a little self-defence today," Sarver told the class. "In light of the increased activity in town, Principal Fuller wanted us all to be a bit more prepared for surprises." He smiled at them. "And for things that go 'bump' in the night."

The class laughed a bit and then Sarver turned around, and back to him, told Kris to come at him. Kris stared at him and asked, "You know what I am, right?"

"Yeah," Sarver said and waved him on impatiently. "Come on, I can take you, you're little."

Kris sighed again. This wasn't going to be fun. The chortle from Adam didn't help either. He went for Sarver who grabbed the hand Kris had placed on his shoulder and tried to throw him over his shoulder. Kris didn't budge.

"I'm a slayer, dude," Kris told him and pulled. Sarver flew over his shoulder and landed wheezing on the mat behind Kris.

"Maybe we should pair you with someone who's a better match for you," Sarver said from his position on the mat. Kris had to give him credit. He'd taken the throw like a champ. "Adam, why don't you and Kris show us how it's done?"

Kris didn't have to look at Adam to know that his eyes were gleaming and his teeth were showing. This was going to seriously suck ass.

They faced each other across the mat, Kris grim, Adam grinning.

Sarver had managed to get back to his feet and called it. "Three, two, one, engage!"

They circled each other, taking time to spot the openings in defence, the gaps where a possible strike could take the other down.

"Hey, pretty boy," Adam crooned. Kris narrowed his eyes and focused. He'd learned to keep his head clear when facing a vamp.

"Did you miss me this weekend?" Adam asked and Kris dropped as Adam leaped towards him. He rolled away and up in one smooth move and his leg swept out and took Adam's feet from under him.

In a heartbeat he was on top of the vampire and grinning down into that beautiful face. "Gotcha," he said.

"Oh really?" Adam asked and bucked up, twisting his body in an inhuman coil so that Kris was thrown back and then Adam pounced on him. His hands were pinned above his head and Adam's bigger body weight held him down.

"Well, well, well," Adam looked down at him, eyes bright and gleeful. "Now what?"

Kris had forgotten that anyone was watching them and he rolled his hips a little, let Adam feel him and the grip on his wrists loosened for a moment. It was all Kris needed to be able to switch their positions again, this time making sure that he held Adam's wrists in one hand and his other hand like a hard blade at Adam's throat.

"Yes, well…" Sarver cleared his throat and Kris remembered where he was. "That was certainly educational. Now, guys, everyone pair up and we'll go through some basic techniques."

Kris stood up and offered a hand to Adam. "Sorry," he said, "I guess I got a little carried away."

Adam ducked his head and Kris saw the smile playing around his mouth. "I guess I did too," Adam replied and Kris' gaze was drawn to the somewhat impressive bulge tenting out Adam's loose gym shorts.

"Oh," Kris mumbled and Adam giggled when Kris moved slowly in front of him in an attempt to shield him from curious eyes.

"My hero," Adam murmured in his ear.

"Shut up," Kris muttered, feeling his cheeks flush.

"Oh, don't even _try_ to deny it, slayer, fighting makes you horny." Adam was a long, cool presence at his back and Kris wanted to lean into him and beat him stupid, at the same time.

Just like that, they were okay again.

[ ](http://s200.photobucket.com/albums/aa54/CydSA/my%20art/?action=view&current=divider-Mal.png)

**There's Always a Bigger, Badder Big Bad**

Ryan suggested training sessions with Adam as his partner and Kris agreed. It took just one afternoon of Kris and Adam all over each other on the sparring mats, laughing and running errant hands all over sweaty muscles for Ryan to forbid them ever to spar in front of him again.

Adam and Kris patrolled together from then on. It made sense when they were so hyper aware of each other. Adam told him that he wouldn't be able to sleep for worrying about Kris out there on his own. Kris had just laughed.

"The moonlight, you and me, it's perfect." Adam had insisted.

"Apart from the occasional blood sucking monster, sure," Kris had replied. Adam had made a sort of sucking noise that had sent Kris into peals of laughter. "Jerk," he'd muttered.

But he liked that he and Adam were a team now. The nights spent wandering through the streets of Conway, talking and dispatching the odd vampire, drew Kris and Adam closer together.

Adam told Kris about his first year as a vampire, all blood and fear and hatred and then he told Kris about Eber and Leila, his vampire parents. They had taken in him, wild and blood-thirsty and nourished him, cocooned him and protected him, moulded him into the man he was now.

"They made me better," Adam said simply. "They showed me love and made me feel human again."

Kris bumped his shoulder. "I'm glad," he said, smiling, "or else that first day might have gone a whole lot different."

Adam laughed and bumped him back. "I'm too pretty to stake," he grinned.

"Eh," Kris shrugged, "you're alright."

Adam gasped in mock horror and then kissed Kris into laughing submission.

"Well, isn't this a pretty picture." The voice that broke them apart was low and rough.

"Fuck," Adam spat and glared at the intruder. "I thought I told you to stay the fuck away from me and mine, Gokey?"

"Aw, Adam, is that the right way to greet an old friend?" The newcomer was heavyset, with a pointed chin and eyes just a fraction too close together. He radiated power.

"We were _never_ friends, Danny." Adam's voice was hard and Kris had never heard him sound more like a vampire.

"Now you've gone and hurt my feelings," Danny pouted but he sounded anything but wounded. His dark eyes were narrow and unamused. He turned that gaze to Kris. "I'd like to say that I've heard a lot about you slayer, but that would be a lie."

Kris shrugged. "I'm not in it for fame," he said.

Adam drew Danny's attention again. "What are you doing back here?" he asked.

"Well," Danny said, "I heard that someone killed a child of mine and I thought I'd better come and visit and personally demonstrate my displeasure with the situation."

He looked between them. "So tell me then, which one of you staked my Katherine?" His voice was poisonous and the night air was swimming with power.

"That would be me," Kris stated and Adam made a small sound. Kris felt the cold touch of his hand on his shoulder as he squeezed in reassurance.

Danny stared at him. "You killed a master vampire?" he asked, disbelieving.

"Yeah," Kris replied. "Not the first one I've staked either."

"Do tell," Danny purred.

"LA, Crowley," was all Kris said and if vampires could go any paler, Danny would have.

"That was you?" he asked.

"Yeah, but I'm not too proud of how things went down and I had help, so I don't want to brag on that," Kris told him.

"You're not very big," Danny said doubtfully.

"Size _really_ doesn't matter," Kris assured him, "Buffy Summers is even shorter than me."

"Size totally matters," Adam muttered and Kris wanted to kick him.

"So not the time, you idiot," Kris scowled at Adam.

"While this is all very engrossing, I really would like to get on with the killing portion of the night's entertainment," Danny drawled.

Kris saw Adam move out of the corner of his eye. He stepped away from Kris so that Danny was forced to look back and forth between them.

"Just getting out of your way," Adam called helpfully. He waved at Kris, "go ahead, baby, I got your back."

Kris sighed. His reputation as a badass slayer was going to be in tatters thanks to Adam. Not that he had a reputation as a badass slayer. But if he'd ever wanted to have a reputation as a badass slayer.

"You're totally badass, Slayer," Adam assured him.

"Thanks man," Kris said and Danny heaved a loud sigh. "Sorry, dude," he apologised to Danny, "My attention is totally yours now."

"Thank you," Danny replied and Kris did not miss the sarcasm. Danny flew at Kris and he only had a moment to duck out of the way, catching Danny's ankle with a tap of his foot. The vamp stumbled and then spun around to face him again.

Adam leaned against a lamp post. "Go baby!" he cheered. "You're doing great!"

Kris wanted to glare at Adam but Danny was back in his face, one big hand around his neck, the other grabbing his wrist and twisting his arm behind his back. Kris gagged a little. "Breath mint?" he suggested and in a smooth motion, turned around so that his back was at Danny's front. He leaned forward and pulled and Danny flew over his shoulder.

The vamp flipped in the air and landed on his feet, hissing at Kris. "Time to stop messing around," he said and punched out at Kris.

Kris knocked his hand away before it could connect with his face and got his own quick jab in. Danny's head snapped back and he growled in anger.

Kris heard a noise to his right and saw that Adam had been engaged in a fight of his own. There looked to be about four or five vampires attacking him. "Hey!" Kris called, "that's cheating!"

Danny's fist caught Kris' cheekbone and he staggered back. "War is never fair," he declared and lunged at Kris, fingers like claws.

Kris leaped back, did a back flip and Danny hurled himself after him. "Would you please stand still?" Danny panted as Kris did a ninja roll to the side and Danny landed on thin air.

"You okay?" he shouted to Adam. He didn't take his eyes from the angry vamp though.

"Just peachy," Adam called back and Kris had to content himself with the knowledge that Adam could take care of himself pretty well.

"You and your boyfriend are going to be a memory by the time I'm done with you," Danny promised as he jumped up in the air and flew at Kris.

"Why do all of you vampires insist on talking like bad movie villains?" Kris complained.

"Hey!" Adam protested to his right.

"Sorry, _most_ of you vampires," Kris amended and Danny growled.

"Adam is an embarrassment to the vampire race," Danny told Kris, hands reaching for his neck.

"Okay, I'm done," Kris said. "Nobody insults my guy but me." He fell backwards and rolled to the side, getting to his feet all in one smooth motion. Danny spun to face him again.

Kris knocked his heel on the ground and his custom-made stake snapped out of the toe of his boot. He swung his leg up in a roundhouse kick and caught Danny solidly in the chest with the punch of the stake.

Kris coughed as the vamp dust sprayed his face. It tasted like chalk. Nasty.

He heard a shout and saw Adam grasp one of his attacker's heads and twist sharply, separating the head from the shoulders in a brutal motion. The vampire dusted and Kris realised that while he'd been busy taking care of Danny, Adam had dispatched all of the others.

"Well, now I feel useless," he mumbled.

Adam grinned at him, brushing vampire dust off his hands. "You did awesome!" he told Kris.

"Yeah, well you took out four of them by yourself," Kris muttered as Adam pulled him into a hug.

"You took out another master vampire, pretty boy," Adam whispered, "you're going to get that badass slayer reputation pretty soon."

Kris lifted his head and let Adam kiss him, hard and sweet. He felt the heat in his blood and all he wanted to do was find a bed and let Adam do whatever he wanted with him.

"Really?" Adam asked against his mouth.

"Oh for…" Kris said and Adam kissed the breath right out of him.

Kris eventually pulled away from Adam, head swimming. "Talk," he ordered, one hand firm against Adam's chest.

Adam's voice dropped low and sensual, "Well, I want to take all your clothes off and lay you down on a bed and…"

Kris put his hand over Adam's mouth. "I meant about Danny."

Adam pulled Kris' hand away. "I don't really want to talk about Danny Gokey," he said, mouth turned down. "I'd much rather kiss you."

Kris shook his head. "Tell me," he insisted, even though he'd really rather Adam kiss him as well.

Adam hunched his shoulders. "Danny and I spent a while together back in my early years as a vampire."

"You mean you and he…" Kris made a hand gesture that was unmistakable.

"God no!" Adam exclaimed, face horrified. "Give me a little credit will you?" He shuddered. "Way to give me nightmares forever, man."

Kris made an aborted chuckle and Adam glared at him. "Seriously, I'm traumatised. I might even have thrown up a little in my mouth."

"Go on," Kris told him, mouth curved in a smile.

"Well," Adam sighed, "Danny was one of the other vamps that Leila and Eber 'adopted'." He and Kris started walking again, heading for Kris' house. "We stayed in a small town in Northern Alaska, no-one bothered us and the locals understood that we weren't going to harm them."

He grabbed Kris' hand and swung their clasped hands between them and Kris felt a little shiver of want go through him. "Alaska was perfect for us. Not too much sun but enough that we were able to build up a slow tolerance for it. Quiet and peaceful and plenty of animal life around for when we needed to feed. Only, Danny wasn't really down with the whole, 'be kind to humans and you'll have an easier time getting food' idea."

"That couldn't have ended well," Kris noted.

Adam nodded as they turned to corner into Kris' street. "The understatement of the century," he agreed. "Eber and Leila kicked him out when they found out that he'd been enjoying the local 'cuisine' a little too much."

"Holy shit!" Kris stared at him, "And they let him live?"

Adam smiled at Kris, looking a little sad. "I liked Alaska. And Danny spoiled it for all of us. The villagers asked us to leave. I really wanted to kick his ass." He dropped an arm across Kris' shoulders. "I'm patient though," he added.

"So he came to Conway?" Kris prodded.

"About five years ago, I'd just moved here with Allison and Cook and we'd made our pact with the folks of Conway. Things were going really smoothly for once in my life and then Gokey appeared." They walked up the pathway to Kris' house.

"What made him leave town then?" Kris asked.

"He challenged me for sovereignty of Conway," Adam said. "It wasn't pretty but I won. He left."

"Why do you think he came back?" Kris asked.

Adam shrugged. "He's stupid?" he suggested and Kris snorted a laugh. "I don't know, maybe he thought that I got soft over time or that he had enough minions to take me and mine on." He grinned down at Kris. "Whatever, he didn't know that I have my own secret weapon."

Kris grinned back at him and they stopped beneath the oak tree at the bottom of the garden and Adam leaned in and kissed him. "Is that why you let me stake him and you took care of his goons?" Kris asked, trying to keep his head clear.

"I want all vampires to understand that we're a team. Your enemies are mine and mine are yours." Adam dragged his thumb across Kris' lip. "Besides, I want you to have that badass reputation you seem to crave."

Kris stuck his tongue out and Adam swooped down again, taking his mouth in a rough kiss. Kris wrapped his arms around Adam's neck and pulled himself up into the kiss. Adam made a small sound and his lips slid down and Kris felt a small nip at the base of his neck.

"Hey!" he warned and Adam lifted his head, smiling.

"Sorry, pretty boy, I seem to lose my head around you." He didn't sound sorry at all and Kris grunted and pulled away.

They made their way around the side of the house to the open window of Kris' bedroom. Kris hauled himself over the sill and turned to look out at Adam. "Do you want to come in?" he asked.

Adam leaned in and pressed a soft, almost chaste kiss on his lips. "More than anything," he admitted.

Kris raised an eyebrow. "Well?" he prompted.

Adam shook his head. "Not tonight, Slayer, although I'd like to take a rain check if that's okay."

"Sure," Kris said, confused. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow at school."

Adam nodded and smiled. "Tomorrow," he promised and vanished into the night. Kris hated that. It was totally creepy.

[ ](http://s200.photobucket.com/albums/aa54/CydSA/my%20art/?action=view&current=divider-Mal.png)

**This Place Called Home**

Kris woke to sunlight and muscles screaming in protest. He lurched to the shower, running the water as hot as he could stand it. Slaying was hard on the body.

He ate a mound of eggs and toast for breakfast, kissed his mama goodbye and raced out the door. Adam was waiting for him in his driveway, hip propped against the door of his SUV.

"Thought you might want to ride in with me," he said; a small smile on his mouth.

Kris grinned at him and walked up to him, reaching up to kiss him. "Cool," he said happily.

"Kristopher Neil Allen!" He flinched when he heard his mother's tone.

"Crap," he muttered and spun around. "Hey Mama!" he shouted back, eyes wide with innocence.

"Don't you 'hey Mama' me, young man!" she yelled, "who is this boy and why are you kissing him?"

Adam asked out of the side of his mouth, "does she know you like guys?"

"Yeah," Kris hissed back. "She's cool with it too."

"Bring him here right this instant!" Kim ordered and Kris trudged reluctantly up the walkway to the front door, Adam on his heels.

"Mama, this is my friend Adam, Adam, this is my Mama, Kim Allen." Kris made the introductions and watched the charm slide easily into place on Adam's face.

"Ma'am," he said quietly and shook her hand, "It's a pleasure to meet you. Kris has told me a lot about you."

Kim snorted. "I very much doubt that, but you're sweet to say it." Her eyes were sharp on him. "Are you one of them?" she asked.

Adam went very still. "One of what?" he asked.

"The town vampires," Kim said and Kris gaped at her. He'd spent a long time making sure his family knew nothing about his slayer duties.

"Mama?" he asked.

"Oh please," she scoffed, "as if I don't know everything about what you do."

Kris stared. "What?" he squeaked and cleared his throat. "I mean…"

"I know that you are a vampire slayer, Kris, I've always known. What I didn't know, Simon Cowell filled in for me." She sounded very matter of fact and Kris was trying to get his balance back. Everything he'd thought he'd known about his mother was all upside down.

"Dad?" he croaked.

Kim nodded. "We both know. It's hard to see you leave at night like a thief out of your window and then creep back in at day break." She looked at Adam. "It's one of the reasons we chose Conway, we'd heard about you."

Adam smiled, this time genuine and Kim blinked. "I'm so glad," he beamed, "I hate lying and especially lying to my boyfriend's mother, well that's just not on."

Kris dropped his face into his palms. Kim glared at him. "Boyfriend?" she asked and Kris moaned.

"Well, only just," Adam amended. "I'm still trying to get him used to the idea of dating an older man." Kris wanted the floor to open up and swallow him.

"Where's a master vampire when you need him?" he muttered and Adam nudged him with his elbow.

"We've already had our first fight," Adam told Kim who started laughing.

"Well, you're going to be late for school so you'd best be going," she said and patted Adam's forearm. "Come to dinner tonight. I'll make steak."

Adam beamed at her. "I like it rare," he confided and she shooed them away.

Once in the car, Kris scowled at Adam. "I hate you," he told him.

"No you don't," Adam said, utterly confident. "You're crazy about me." He dropped one hand on Kris' thigh and squeezed. "You're just freaking out because you've found out that your parents know about your secret life. I'm just the convenient punching bag."

Kris sighed. "This is not how a slayer's life should work," he said, staring out the window.

"Well, not usually," Adam admitted. "I guess you're just lucky."

"Lucky!" Kris sputtered, "How can you call this lucky?"

Adam glanced at him, eyes soft and warm. "You have a loving family who support you and accept you just as you are without trying to change you. You have a circle of friends who are aware of what you are and still think you're made of awesome." He smiled. "And you have a boyfriend who thinks you're the most gorgeous, sexy, amazing creature on the planet. I'd call that pretty lucky, wouldn't you?"

When he put it like that….Kris slumped against Adam's shoulder. "Life in LA was way less complicated," he complained.

"And way less happy," Adam said.

"Yeah," Kris sighed. "Seriously."

Both of their groups were waiting for them when they got to school. Matt, Anoop and Megan along with Allison and Cook wanted to know exactly what had gone down the night before. Archie had his i-Pod on and was concentrating on a book.

Their friends wanted to know what had happened. The reports of fighting in the streets had obviously found their way to the school.

"Why didn't you call for us?" Alli demanded and glared at Adam.

"We handled it," Adam assured her and gave her a hug. "Totally under control, baby girl."

"You can't take chances, Adam," Cook told him sternly. "The alliance with Conway rests with you. If something happens to you…"

"Nothing's going to happen to me, man," Adam told him and clapped him on the shoulder.

"I'll stake him myself," Kris promised Cook who looked at him, eyes narrowed and then nodded.

"Fair enough," Cook said. "But you let me down and I'll not be happy."

Kris grinned at him and tapped Archie on the arm. "Hey Archie, tell your big, bad boyfriend that I'm on the job, okay?" Kris jerked his head towards Adam.

"What?" Archie asked, lifting his head from his book and pulling out his earphones. He looked between them, baffled. "I mean…" he trailed off, "What?"

Adam laughed and ruffled Archie's hair. "Go back to your studying, puppy, ignore Kris and Cook."

Archie scowled and knocked Adam's hand away. "Don't call me that!" he told Adam firmly. "Only Cook gets to call me that."

Cook grabbed Archie's hand and pulled him close. "One day I'll be able to call you 'dawg'," he told Archie with a grin.

Archie pulled away from Cook and pointed at him. "I am so going to make you pay for that," he warned and Allison draped an arm around him.

"Don't worry Archie, we'll take care of Cook for you." She smirked at Cook. "You're not so tough."

Archie leaned against Allison and stared at Cook, who shook his head. "When it comes to Archie, I'm a complete marshmallow." He smiled at Archie who smiled back, bright and loving.

"I know," Alli said and Archie moved away from her and back to Cook's side.

"No one else will put up with you," Archie muttered but didn't budge when Cook wrapped his arm around him.

"What were we talking about again?" Alli asked and then pinned Adam with a glare. "Ah yes, your superhero complex."

"No more hunting alone," Cook said firmly.

"We weren't hunting!" Adam protested. "It was just a routine patrol. How was I supposed to know that there was a new master vampire in town?"

"A master?" Allison sputtered and her pale skin flushed with temper. "For God's sake, Adam, be a little more responsible, would you?" Kris noted the maturity in her exasperated words that was at odds with her girlish face. "We need you alive; not dusted by stray vampires."

"He wasn't a stray," Kris offered and Adam's eyes flew to him. Adam shook his head minutely. Kris ignored him. "The vamp was a dude from Adam's past."

"Oh," Matt nodded wisely, "One of your rejected exes?" Kris laid a restraining arm on a suddenly growly Adam.

"Gokey was not an ex anything!" Adam snarled.

"Well," Kris began and Adam's narrowed gaze swung to him again, "technically he's an ex-vampire now." And Kris snorted.

Cook snorted as well and Archie giggled. Then they were all laughing, except for Adam who managed to glare at them all equally. "You're all idiots," he announced and stalked off.

"Ah, babe," Kris called after him, "don't be like that!" He raced after Adam, still laughing and grabbed Adam's hand.

He noticed that Adam didn't pull away, even though he refused to talk to him. Kris counted that as a win.

Adam managed to sulk for most of the day. Fortunately, most of Kris' classes were not shared with his bright and not-so-shiny new boyfriend.

Matt, Megan and Anoop sat down next to him in Chemistry. "Spill, man," Matt ordered. "What's up with you and the fanged one?"

"Don't call him that," Kris told him, staring down at the green fungus on his Petri dish. "What the hell are we supposed to do with this?" he asked and Megan shrugged.

"You need to take some calcium and test whether the fungus responds," Anoop told him.

"No, seriously, man, are you and Adam like a couple now?" Matt insisted.

Megan smacked the back of his head. "You're an ass," she told him.

"What?" Matt asked. "I need to know these things in case I say something stupid."

"Like suggesting the vamp we dusted last night was Adam's ex?" Anoop drawled.

"Hey!" Matt protested. "How was I supposed to know?"

"You need to make sure your brain is engaged before you put your mouth in gear, dude." Anoop's smile was fond though and Kris reckoned he'd probably spent a good few years digging his friend out of his self-made holes.

"Which is why I need to know whether you and the Dark Lord are doing the horizontal mamba," Matt said. This time Anoop and Megan both slapped him and Kris ducked his head, laughing and blushing at the same time. He was so grateful that Adam wasn't there.

Then he remembered that Adam could read his mind and he moaned as he dropped his head onto his desk. Just great.

Kris joined Matt and Anoop on the soccer field after school. He liked the sport and it would help pass the time. He was so not thinking about dinner with Adam and his parents.

"So, what's on the cards for the weekend?" Matt panted as he tried to bend it like Beckham and instead sent the ball careening towards a group of cheerleaders.

"Asshole!" Brad shouted at Matt who waved merrily.

"I love you too, princess!" Matt called back. Brad flipped him off and pointedly turned his back on them.

"He loves me," Matt declared.

"You're delusional," Anoop snorted and Megan trotted over with the errant soccer ball.

"Stop being a loser, Matt," Megan told him and shoved the ball at him, hitting him in the gut. The breath whooshed out of him and he stumbled back.

"Hello my lovely," Anoop smiled at her.

"Hey you," she smiled back.

"Ex-squeeze me, Megan, but could you please stop fraternizing with the mentally handicapped and come and join the practice?" Brad shouted and the ice in his tone was effective.

Megan winced and kissed Anoop on the cheek. "Ever since they voted him captain of the squad he's turned into a power mad tyrant," she grumbled and jogged back to the team.

"If he wasn't so pretty, and the Principal's nephew," Matt started and then grinned. "then maybe he'd be a little less of a bitch." They all watched as Brad took the squad through their paces.

"He's really….flexible," Kris noted as Brad demonstrated some complicated round-off back-handspring to a tuck.

"Yeah," Matt said and then squeaked. "Hey Adam!"

"Should I be jealous?" Adam drawled and Kris turned to look at him.

"What?" he asked, mind still on the bendy Brad.

"I should definitely be jealous," Adam stated and his eyes narrowed at Brad. "You're right though, he is very supple."

"Hey!" Kris scowled and glared at Adam.

"What's good for the gander…" Adam's eyes sparkled.

Anoop disguised his laughter by coughing loudly and unconvincingly. Matt was inspecting the soccer ball very thoroughly but his ears were bright red.

"What time should I come over tonight?" Adam asked and Kris gave a mental groan. Anoop and Matt weren't going to let this go.

"Um."

"You're meeting the parentals?" Matt asked, eyes wide.

Adam nodded. "Mrs. Allen invited me to dinner this morning when I stopped by to pick Kris up for school."

"You drove to school with Adam?" Anoop's face was surprised.

"Oh my God, Adam, could you just shut your mouth please?" Kris begged as Adam giggled.

"Dude," Matt remonstrated, "your cred is seriously damaged." He looked at Adam earnestly, "You're treating him a like a chick."

"I was brought up to treat my lovers with respect." Adam's tone was lofty and slightly affronted. Kris sensed an explosion.

"Okay, first, I don't need to know that he's your lover," Matt told him, hand held out and eyes scrunched closed. "That's what's known as TMI, too much information." Anoop opened his mouth and Matt barrelled on, "Second, man, this is the twenty first century. You don't have to open doors or pick up the tab any more. It's a brand new world."

Anoop stared at him and then sighed. "And you wonder why you're still single."

Kris laughed so hard he fell over and Matt kicked his leg with a grumble. "Just trying to help you, dude."

"Don't," Anoop advised and looked at Adam. "Sorry about him, we don't let him out too often. As you can see, there is good reason for that."

Adam's stormy expression cleared and the merry glint in his eye returned. He reached down and pulled Kris to his feet. "I'll see you at about six thirty then?" he asked and Kris nodded, still snorting a little. Adam leaned down and pressed his mouth softly against Kris'.

It honestly felt as though the world fell away. He stood there, only his hand in Adam's and his mouth on Adam's and felt like he'd been hit by lightning. All the blood in his head rushed to his dick and he knew that if he didn't stop this right now then he'd be humiliated and mocked by Matt and Anoop forever.

"Sorry," Adam whispered against his lips. Kris tried to remember why Adam was apologising and then recalled the mind reading.

"Gonna make you pay for that," he breathed as Adam pulled back slowly.

"Promises, promises," Adam smirked and with a last rub of his thumb across Kris' lower lip, he left.

"Wow," Anoop said from behind him. "I'm so not gay, but I could be for him."

"Yeah," Matt agreed.

"I'm just gonna…" Kris waved his hand a little feebly in the air, not turning around.

"Yeah," Matt agreed.

"See you tomorrow," Anoop called as Kris stopped to collect his kit bag and started the walk home. It would be a good thing to clear his head.

Kris hoped that nothing decided to attack him on the way home. He was about as useful as a lettuce leaf right now.

[ ](http://s200.photobucket.com/albums/aa54/CydSA/my%20art/?action=view&current=divider-Mal.png)

**The Scariest Monsters**

Kim Allen was cooking up a storm when Kris got home. She looked up at him, saw the state of his clothes and pointed wordlessly to the bathroom.

He grinned, kissed her cheek, stole a still-warm cookie and skipped out of the way of her wooden spoon. "I'm a growing boy, Mama!" he called as he crashed down the passage-way.

"The only thing that will be growing is the fat ear I give you when you get back here, boy!" she called back.

"Love you!" he laughed as he stripped, dropping his clothes on the bathroom floor and stepping into the shower. He scrubbed himself clean, leaning a little dreamily against the shower wall, stroking his cock and thinking of Adam's mouth. It was a good dream.

"Kristopher Neil Allen!" his mother stood at the bathroom door, mouth gaping. "What on earth..?"

"Mama!" Kris shouted at her and turned bright red and spun to face the wall. "What are you doing in here?" She hadn't seen him naked since…he couldn't remember the last time she'd seen him naked. It wasn't cool.

"I saw nothing," Kim told him.

"I want a new family!" Kris yelled, furious.

"I'm sorry but you're stuck with me," Kim said.

"Go away," Kris begged, "please."

"I came to ask you what time Adam would be here," his mother said and Kris could totally hear the suppressed laughter in her voice.

He dropped his forehead on the tiles in front of him. "Please, Mama, seriously, just go away."

She giggled the whole way back to the kitchen. Then Kris hoped that distance worked with the telepathy thing with Adam because, right there was 'life's most embarrassing moment ever'. Good thing there were no cameras.

He slunk into his room and decided to stay there until Adam arrived. He tried to focus on his homework for the day. He heard the front door open and his father's voice and looked at the clock. It was six pm.

"Hi son," Neil Allen stuck his head in the door.

Kris hopped up from his desk and went to hug his father. "Hey Dad," he mumbled into the familiar scent of his father's chest.

"Your mother says we're having a guest for dinner." Neil stepped back and looked at Kris. "You have a boyfriend?"

"Uh," Kris said eloquently.

"When were you planning on introducing him to us?" Neil's face was impassive.

"Tonight?" Kris offered and his father's brow lowered. Kris scrambled, "it's really new and I didn't want you to meet someone and like them and then if we broke up and it all ended and then you'd be sad 'cause you'd already been planning our wedding reception…" He trailed off. "Sorry."

"Wedding reception?" his father's eyebrow lifted. "We're not that bad are we?"

Kris sighed, "Dad, the last time I brought a guy home, Mama knitted him a sweater, a scarf and a beanie. We went out for three weeks."

Neil grinned. "Your mama got that set back too. She's a tiger."

Kris rolled his eyes. "One of the many reasons I am thrilled not to be in LA anymore."

Neil looked at him, eyes gentle, "Son, you came out to us two years ago, you're almost eighteen and we just want you to find someone and be happy."

"Did Mama tell you about Adam?" Kris asked. "Did she tell you that he's a…." and the doorbell rang.

"A what?" his father asked.

"That must be Adam," Kris ducked around his father and headed to the door.

"A what, Kristopher?" Neil bellowed after him.

"You'll see!" Kris called back and pulled the front door open. And stared.

Kris knew Adam was pretty. But he'd not really understood just how gorgeous he really was. He was in a snowy white shirt, black jeans and boots and had a chunky silver chain around his neck. He'd done something to his eyes so they looked deep and smoky and his mouth shone with gloss.

"Hi," he breathed and blinked.

"Just the response I wanted," Adam smiled at him and bent down to give him a short, sweet kiss. "Hey pretty boy."

"Kris, let the boy in, you rude child!" Kim ordered and Kris stood back dumbly to let Adam enter. His mother held out her arms and engulfed Adam in a hug. "I'm so happy you could come," she told him.

"Thank you for inviting me, ma'am," Adam said, all charm.

"Call me Kim, sweetie, you're a tad older than me even though you carry your age well," she patted his arm and bustled back to the kitchen throwing an order over her shoulder at Neil, "pour Adam something to drink, honey, he's definitely of legal age."

Neil frowned. "You're not at school with Kris?" he asked and Kris started panicking.

"Yes sir, I am," Adam admitted, "but I'm a little older than the average student. I decided to get my high school diploma."

"At twenty-one?" Neil sounded incredulous and Adam looked over at Kris, helpless.

"Dad, Adam's not twenty-one," Kris started and Kim came out of the kitchen, spatula in hand.

"Neil? Why haven't you made Adam something to drink yet?" she asked.

"We're trying to establish whether Adam's allowed to drink anything alcoholic," Neil told her.

"Oh, for Pete's sake, he's older than you and I put together," Kim said in exasperation. "Just ask him what he wants to drink, Neil."

"I … what?" Neil asked, his calm façade shaken.

"I'm a vampire," Adam explained, his tone almost apologetic.

Neil opened his mouth, nothing came out and then he closed it again. Kris watched his father go to the drinks cabinet, pour himself a large whiskey and throw it back without a word.

"Dad?" Kris walked up to him and touched his shoulder. The muscles there were tense.

"I thought you hunted the monsters," Neil said softly, not turning around. "I didn't realise that you were dating one."

"He's not a monster!" Kris snatched his hand away and stumbled against Adam as he backed up. He'd never heard that kind of venom from his father. He felt Adam behind him, stiff and tense and he could almost hear the hurt.

"I think its better that I just go," Adam said, voice a little raw.

"No!" Kris exclaimed and grabbed his wrist. "You're staying." He looked into Adam's eyes and hated that his father had put that look there. "I want you to stay," he insisted.

Adam flicked a glance at the firm set of Neil's shoulders. "Maybe you should spend a little time with your folks," he suggested, "I'm going to say goodbye to your mom." He attempted a smile and it twisted wrong on his face.

"Adam…" Kris started to protest but Adam shook his head. Kris felt his shoulders slump and he watched Adam walk to the kitchen. He spun back to his father. "That was about the meanest thing I've ever seen," he hissed, shaking with anger.

Neil turned around and looked at Kris. "You're dating a vampire and you never thought to tell me?"

Kris heard the front door open and then close, quiet and final and felt something twist inside him. Kim came out of the kitchen and glared at Neil. "What did you say to that boy?" she asked. "He looked like someone kicked his puppy and then ate it."

"Why didn't you warn me?" Neil asked her, "It would have been nice to be prepared for the fact that my son's new boyfriend is not human."

"Oh Neil, since when was it your place to judge?" Kim asked in exasperation. "He's lovely and well-mannered and he's been keeping Kristopher safe at night when he's been on patrol."

"He's what Kris has been hunting all these years," Neil said, but he didn't sound so sure anymore.

"I know that," Kim said, "and I invited him to dinner anyway." She poked a finger in his chest. "I should call your mama and tell her that the Southern hospitality she taught her son never took."

"Kim!" Neil exclaimed. "He's a vampire."

"Dad, he's my boyfriend!" Kris felt like he'd taken a punch to his chest. He hurt so much for Adam. "I know what he is and I'm crazy about him and he's got my back in every way." His entire body was vibrating with tension. "If you can't accept him, then why do you accept me?"

"Don't you talk to me in that tone of voice, Kristopher," his father warned him. "You're not a monster."

"Neither is he." Kris stared at him. "Dad, I'm as much of a monster as he is," he said and all the fight went out of him. "I've been killing his kind for years and only once I met him did I learn that not all vampires are evil."

He felt his eyes burn. "I've staked maybe three or four hundred vampires in the time that I've been a slayer and not once did I stop to find out if they liked what they had become." His mother patted his arm gently and he took courage from her unspoken support.

Neil looked shaken. "Son," he reached out to Kris and Kris shook his head vigorously.

"No," his voice was fierce again, "Adam has protected Conway from real evil for the past five years and not one of the people who live here has ever said thank you."

His father opened his mouth to speak and Kris held up his hand. "Listen, Adam has asked for nothing but some blood, has fought by my side since we got here and helped me make friends. You shouldn't judge him for something he's had no control over."

He spun on his heels and walked to the front door. He turned to look at his mother and her eyes were soft with understanding.

"Mama, I'm going to try and catch him, okay?" He looked at her and she nodded.

"You bring him right back here, sweetie, tell him I have a steak here with his name on it." She sent a glare at Neil. "And that your father will be eating soup and toast in his room."

"Hey!" Neil protested but Kris didn't stay to hear his excuses. He needed to find Adam.

He raced outside and gave a sigh of relief when he saw Adam's car. He went to the passenger door and knocked on the window. Adam pushed the door open and Kris climbed in.

They sat in silence for a few moments and then Kris said, "I'm sorry."

Adam was looking very carefully at his nails and not at Kris. "What for?" he asked, "Your father is right."

"No he isn't!" Kris grabbed Adam's hand and tugged until Adam turned his body a little and lifted his head. "He's so wrong that there's not even a word for how wrong he is!"

Adam's eyes were miserable. "I _am_ a monster," he said, low and rough.

"Well, like I said to my dad, so am I," Kris told him and Adam's eyes widened. "I'm super strong and super fast and I kill vampires and any other big bad that crosses my path," Kris explained. "I've killed so many in my life that I don't feel anything anymore when I do kill." He looked down at their hands. "I'm as much of a monster as you are," he murmured.

"Kris…" Adam breathed, wonder in his voice and then Kris was pinned back against the seat and kissed. Adam's mouth tasted like mint and light and Kris let his arms go up and around Adam's neck until he was squeezing Adam as tightly as Adam was holding him.

"Dad will never understand me like you do," Kris said into the cool skin of Adam's neck. "He's a guy who likes to see what he's dealing with, understand it." Adam cuddled him closer. "See, he knows I'm a slayer, but he'd prefer to pretend that it's just another job, you know?"

Adam nodded, mouth against Kris' temple. "Most people prefer not to know about the monsters," he said quietly. "It changes how they look at the world and humans really don't like change."

"Yeah," Kris sighed, "It's like, if they pretend that the monsters aren't real, then they're okay."

"But they are real and you're out there fighting them," Adam said.

"Well, I'm not alone, there are a whole bunch of slayers out there and they're tipping the scales against evil." Kris smiled and licked at Adam's neck. "Ryan's even told them about you guys and apparently you're not alone, there are others like you and Cook and Alli, vampires that don't want to kill humans; that want to co-exist with them."

Adam made a sort of surprised noise. "Really? Just please God let the Cullens not be part of that group." He sounded disgusted.

"Dude," Kris poked him in the side, "The Cullens are fictional characters, this is reality. Keep it straight in your head please!"

Adam chuckled. "Of course, vegetarian vampires are totally made-up." He sighed against Kris. "I'm sorry I spoilt your dinner," he said. "I just really wanted your parents to like me."

It was Kris' turn to make a noise, "My mom thinks you're the shit," he told Adam and kissed the soft hollow at the base of his neck. "And I know that my dad is going to love you once he gets to know you."

"He thinks I'm a monster, pretty boy, that's an awfully big hurdle to climb over." Adam sounded doubtful.

"But you're _my_ monster," Kris told him with a smile when Adam eventually pulled back and the hurt eased from Adam's eyes like clouds away from the sun, "and Dad has always wanted one thing for me and that's happiness. You make me happy," he shrugged, "he'll come around. Or else." He smile at Adam, utterly determined.

"If I told you that I really think I might actually be sort of crazy in love with you, would that scare you?" Adam asked him, lifting a hand to trace the arch of Kris' eyebrow, down the plane of his cheekbone to rub gently against his lips.

"Yeah," Kris admitted, "but I think I might actually be sort of crazy in love with you too, so I guess we can be scared together."

Adam pulled him in tight and Kris tucked his hot face against the cool skin of Adam's neck. "Okay, I can do that," Adam said and they held on to each other.

The knock against the window made them spring apart and Kris opened the door. His father stood there, hands in his pockets and face blank. "Your mama said to come and get you back inside," his gaze flickered to Adam, "Both of you," he added.

"I don't think…" Kris began and Adam's fingers curled around his.

"Thank you, we'll be right in," Adam interjected.

Neil gave a short nod and held out his hand. "I'm sorry; I shouldn't have treated a guest in my home like that. Please, can we start again?" Adam shook the outstretched hand and Neil turned to walk back into the house.

"Why?" Kris asked, "he just insulted and hurt you and…"

"He's your father," Adam reminded him, "he only wants what's best for you." He ran his fingers through Kris' messy hair and frowned in dismay. "You look like you've been in a tornado," he muttered.

Kris let a reluctant grin show. "You're my own personal hurricane," he told Adam and was rewarded with a kiss.

"Come on, pretty boy, let's go and have dinner with your parents," Adam shoved at Kris until he almost fell out of the cab of the SUV.

"Fine, but I won't enjoy it," Kris grumbled.

"If you're very good, I'll give you a treat later," Adam promised him.

Kris sent a glance at him. "What do I get?" he asked, eyes sly.

"That, my lovely, is something I will keep as a surprise," Adam's grin was smug though. He sobered and squared his shoulders. "Right, into the lion's den," he muttered.

Kris linked their hands. "I got your back, man," he assured Adam.

Adam looked at him, something warm in his gaze. "I know you do," he leaned down a little and kissed Kris lightly on the lips. "It's just, I've learned that not all the monsters are supernatural." They headed up the path to the front door. "Some of the scariest monsters are human."

"I guess it's a good thing that you got my back too?" Kris bumped Adam's shoulder and they smiled at each other.

"Will you two stop fooling around outside and come and eat?" Kim called from inside the house. They exchanged wary glances and went inside.

Neil was already at the head of the dining table and Kim was bringing a big salad bowl out of the kitchen. Adam raced to take it from her. "Here, let me," he said and she beamed at him.

"I'm very glad you decided to stay, Adam," she told him and then ordered Kris and Adam to wash their hands. Adam gave a little giggle that was the only reason Kris said nothing and just stomped into the kitchen, Adam on his heels, blushing madly and muttering about bossy mothers who lived to embarrass their sons.

Kris was tense when they sat down but Kim kept up a steady chatter, asking Kris about his day. Neil was a little stiff at first but when Adam innocently asked him what he did for a living, he lit up.

"I'm a bank manager," Neil told him, "specifically I help people invest their money in the right way."

"Oh," Adam said, eyes going bright, "I love money."

Neil gave a choked laugh and asked, "I like to make money into more money."

Adam beamed at him in delight, blue eyes hopeful. "Any recommendations? My current brokers are abysmal."

While Kris wrapped his head around the fact that his boyfriend used words like 'abysmal', Adam and Neil chatted away about stocks and bonds and other boring stuff. Kris turned to his mama.

"Things seem to be going better," he whispered.

She leaned in and whispered back, "Let's not jinx it, shall we?"

Kris nearly jumped out of his skin when he felt a cool hand on his thigh. He glanced over at Adam but he was still deep in conversation with Neil about 401K accounts and Kris wanted to give a mock yawn to indicate his severe lack of interest in the topic.

Except that cool hand was squeezing and stroking and those long fingers danced up and down his thigh. Kris scowled.

"Something wrong, honey?" his mother asked.

"No," Kris said and shifted his chair away from Adam. The hand fell away. "I'm just tired I guess."

"Well, it _is_ a school night," she said and then looked at Neil, "we should let Adam go home now, the boys need their rest."

"Thank you, sir." Adam held out his hand. "I appreciate your hospitality."

Neil shook Adam's hand. "I just want to say again, that I'm sorry for jumping to conclusions about you. It was wrong of me and I've been brought up better than that." His eyes were apologetic and Kris took a breath, relieved.

He stopped and rubbed his other hand on the back of his neck and for just a moment Kris got a glimpse of himself, how he might look, thirty years from now. "I should have trusted Kris, he's always been a good judge of character. I guess that every race, nation, creed has their good and bad pennies. Kris thinks you're one of the good ones, and after tonight, I guess I think so too."

Adam smiled and Kris just wanted to hug him. "It's okay, sir, I understand that you were just trying to protect your son. If I had a child…" he stopped, "besides, life's too short, no matter how long you live. I'm crazy about Kris and want only the best for him."

"Good to hear," Neil replied and held onto Adam's hand for a moment, his eyes narrowed and he warned Adam, "but you hurt my boy and all bets are off."

"Duly noted, sir, and completely justified," Adam assured him. He kissed a blushing Kim on the cheek, told her that her steak was the best he'd ever tasted and Kris walked him out to the porch.

"So, you've met the parents, does that mean we're official?" Kris peered up at Adam through his eyelashes, trying for coy.

"We were official the first time I laid eyes on you, pretty boy," Adam told him and swooped down for a kiss. "Goodnight."

"Night," Kris said and watched him stride off and climb into his car. He waved as Adam gave a toot of the horn and then went back inside.

He quickly helped his mother clear the table and pack the dishwasher. "Thanks, Mama," he told her once they were done and he wrapped his arms around her and squeezed.

She gave a little squeak and then hugged him back. "I like him," she said simply.

"Me too," Kris told her.

She rolled her eyes. "Even a blind man could see that, Kristopher," her tone was droll. He laughed and kissed her goodnight. "Don't stay out too late," she called after him and he nearly tripped over his feet. He'd forgotten for a moment that his folks knew about his slayer life.

Neil was watching the late news in the den. "Night Dad," Kris leaned over the back of the sofa and hugged his father around his neck. The big hands that had cradled him from infancy reached up and squeezed.

"Night, son," he said and then paused. "He seems like a good man, your Adam," he said eventually.

Kris nodded against his father's cheek. "He's the best," he affirmed.

"Alright then," the gruff voice told Kris that his dad might have a little tear in his eye, "you get to bed now."

"Yes sir," Kris agreed and almost smiled to himself at the very different ways his parents dealt with who he was. But both of them accepted him utterly. Adam was right, he was a very lucky guy.

[ ](http://s200.photobucket.com/albums/aa54/CydSA/my%20art/?action=view&current=divider-Mal.png)

**Come Into My Parlour, Check Out My Wall**

He brushed his teeth, finished his Math homework and switched off his light. He lifted up the window and climbed out and Adam was leaning against the big oak at the bottom of the garden.

"I was beginning to think you weren't coming," he said, shining pale and beautiful in the moonlight.

Kris snorted. "Sneaking out is a habit. It's going to take forever to break," he muttered and Adam dropped a long arm over his shoulder.

"So how long before I can ask your father for your hand in marriage?" Adam asked conversationally.

Kris kicked him hard after he fell down laughing his fool head off. "I hate you," he said and stalked off.

Adam was up and next to him in an instant. "You know," he murmured, "vampires have amazing recovery powers."

"Yeah?" Kris asked, "So what?"

Adam waggled his eyebrows at Kris and just stared at him.

"What?" Kris asked and then it dawned. "Oh," he said, "oh!" and he blushed.

Adam started laughing again and Kris scowled at him. "Totally gonna tell my Dad that you just wanna have sex with me," he told Adam.

Adam stopped laughing long enough to smirk at him. "Pretty boy, why do you think your dad got all up in my face? It really wasn't just because I'm a vampire." Kris glared at him.

"Well not entirely because I'm a vampire," Adam amended and then slung his arm around Kris' shoulders again. "Your father suspects that I want to have my wicked way with you."

Kris started chuckling. "You are such a dork," he told Adam.

"But I'm _your_ dork," Adam assured him.

Kris lifted his head and just before Adam kissed him, promised, "Totally dude."

They walked down towards the school and then Kris turned to Adam. "Anoop has a basement."

Adam looked down at him. "And?" he asked, eyebrow raised at the confusing change in conversation.

"And it's supposed to be where he keeps his Chronicles of Conway," Kris said, excited. "I've wanted to check it out since the first day I got here."

"Anoop's it is then," Adam agreed and they made their way to the street where Anoop lived, nothing interrupting the patrol.

"It's nice to have a peaceful stroll around town," Adam mused as they went down the stairs at the back of Anoop's house.

"Patrolling is not strolling," Kris told him and grinned when Adam rolled his eyes. Kris knocked on the door.

"Who is it?" Anoop's voice filtered through the door.

"It's Adam and Kris," Adam said.

"What's the password?" Matt called and Kris scowled.

"It's 'open the bloody door or I'll kick it down'!" Kris told him.

"That'll work," Anoop said and the door opened. Kris just stared. They were both wearing tinfoil hats and grinning. "Come on in," Anoop invited and stepped back.

"What the fuck?" Adam asked.

Kris nodded, "Yeah, what he said," adding unnecessarily, "you're wearing tinfoil."

"It's to keep the aliens from finding us," Matt told them, face earnest.

"I don't even want to know, do I?" Adam asked Kris. Kris just shook his head and felt the laughter bubble out of him in huge gusts. Adam's laugher followed quickly after.

"Just when I think Conway can't get any weirder," Kris said and followed Anoop and Matt inside.

"Hey!" Anoop protested. "I'm only wearing this to settle Matt's mind. I know that the aliens could find us whether we wore the hats or not."

Matt's horrified expression set Adam and Kris off again and they leaned against one another while Anoop assured Matt that the aliens couldn't see into the basement. He rattled off statistics of the depth of concrete and the amount of steel in the foundations until Matt calmed down.

"So, I wanted to see this basement you keep talking about," Kris said eventually and Anoop beamed at him.

"Let me show you what I've done," he said and dragged Kris to a wall at the back of the basement that was covered in paper. Newspaper articles, photographs, hand-written notes were pasted to the wall from floor to ceiling with arrows and pins in various colours.

"Uh," Kris said and shared a look with Adam.

Anoop was enthusiastically explaining the colour-coding behind the pins and arrows and Matt's arms were wind-milling in excitement as he pointed out stories about the weird and wonderful things that had been happening in Conway for years.

"That's how we found out that we were living on a Hellmouth," Anoop said once he'd finished his explanation. "Then we found out about Buffy Summers."

"And the rest as they say, is history," Matt concluded triumphantly.

Kris was peering at some of the articles, mentions of people being hacked open by what appeared to be claws, people vanishing without a trace, weird lights over Conway.

"This is pretty impressive, man," he eventually admitted and Anoop grinned.

"It's taken me," he rolled his eyes at the unsubtle cough from Matt, "us about five years."

Adam tapped the article in the centre of the wall. "And this one?" he asked. Kris walked over to look at it and leaned into Adam as he read.

"Your 'coming out' exclusive!" Anoop told Adam and Kris read quickly through the one page interview with Adam Lambert, Town Vamp, and grinned.

"You're like a rock star here, dude," Kris told Adam and Adam pinched him on the arm.

"That was when I," Anoop sighed at Matt's cough, "we, decided to start chronicling the weird that happens here."

"And the amount of weird was staggering." Matt's eyes were big.

Kris nodded absently, eyes trailing across the wall of articles and photos. "We needed you here," Anoop told him.

"Not really," Kris shrugged, "With Adam, Cook and Alli all playing for your team, it looks like a lot of it was kept under control."

He could feel Adam's restless movement next to him and he looked up into uncomfortable blue eyes. "Does anyone know just how much you've done for this town since you came here?" he asked, letting his eyes show how amazing he thought Adam was.

Adam gave a minute shake of his head and looked away. Anoop and Matt stared at him, understanding dawning. "You've been…" Anoop said and then stopped.

"You've actually been our Slayer for the past five years, haven't you?" Matt asked Adam.

"How did you work it out?" Adam's discomfort was evident by the set of his shoulders.

Kris rubbed a warm hand between the tense muscles of his shoulder blades. "I've been known to actually figure stuff out on my own occasionally," he smiled.

Adam's mouth quirked and he shook his head at Kris. "I was protecting my territory," he muttered.

"No, you were protecting us," Anoop corrected and he looked at Adam in wonderment. "We didn't realise."

"We didn't know," Matt added.

"You didn't bother asking," Kris told them and wrapped an arm around Adam's waist. "My hero," he said, fluttering his eyelashes and grinning at the startled giggle from Adam.

"Idiot," Adam told him and bent down to kiss him. Kris thought that this kiss felt different. That finally there were no more secrets between them. That Adam had shared his deepest fear with Kris and Kris had confessed his secret worry to Adam.

"I'd better go home," Kris said when Adam pulled away. Matt and Anoop were watching them, eyes huge.

"That was disturbing," Matt said and Anoop nodded.

"I am a lover of women, but that was seriously hot." Anoop shook his head. "That's just not right, man."

Kris grinned at Adam who blinked in surprise. "They think we're sexy," he told Adam.

"You'd better leave before Matt propositions you," Anoop told them and Adam laughed.

"Adam Lambert, making people question their sexuality wherever he goes," Kris murmured and they left with a round of very manly hand shakes and pats on backs. Adam was still laughing.

Adam held Kris' hand the entire way home.

Before he climbed into his room Kris turned to Adam. "Do you want to come inside?" he asked.

Adam shook his head. "Better that I don't," he said, eyes shining silver in the moonlight.

Kris scowled. "Why not?" he asked and his jaw jutted out stubbornly.

Adam rubbed his thumb over Kris' lips and said, "I might not be able to control myself around you, pretty Kris."

Kris leaned into the touch. "I don't want you to be in control around me," he whispered and pressed a soft kiss to the underside of Adam's jaw. "Please, come inside with me," he begged.

Adam's face was unreadable and then he nodded. "Alright," he said, "But I won't stay long."

Kris clambered over the window sill and Adam slipped in after him. Kris went into his bathroom and shucked his clothes, tugging on his sleep shorts and came out to find Adam stretched out on his bed.

He'd kicked off his boots and thrown his jacket over the chair in front of his desk and he was lying with his eyes closed and his arms behind his head.

"Comfy?" Kris asked with a grin.

Adam cracked open one eye. "Supremely," he said and held out an arm. Kris climbed onto the bed and cuddled in next to him.

Adam's body was cool and Kris pressed his nose into the curve of Adam's shoulder. "You always smell so good," Kris mumbled, breathing in.

Adam's arm snaked around Kris and pulled him in close. "All for you, pretty boy," he assured him.

Kris kissed the soft skin beneath his mouth and Adam shivered. "Kris," he said; voice low in warning.

"Yeah?" Kris asked, trying for innocence and failing.

"Don't start something you're not prepared to finished," Adam told him.

"Okay," Kris said agreeably and then sucked hard at the spot he'd just kissed. He wanted to mark Adam in the most basic way.

"Oh, you're asking for it," Adam grunted and moved quickly, covering Kris with his body. Kris wrapped his arms around Adam and bucked beneath him, testing the strength above him. Adam didn't budge.

One cool hand snaked down Kris' side, leaving goose flesh in its path. Adam rested his hand on Kris' hip, the chill almost burning him through his shorts.

"Adam," Kris whined and wriggled beneath Adam, brushing against the front of Adam's jeans. Kris felt heat and cold and he moved one of his arms from around Adam's waist to the button on Adam's jeans. "I want to touch you," Kris breathed. "Can I?"

He didn't wait for permission, just slipped the button free and tugged on the straining zipper. "Kris, please, I don't think…" Adam's voice trailed off into silence as Kris wrapped his fingers around Adam's cock.

"Stop thinking so hard," Kris told him and offered his mouth. Adam kissed him then, hard and wet and filthy, tongue and teeth and spit.

"Driving me crazy, you little shit," Adam growled and his mouth moved down the column of Kris' throat. His hand moved beneath the waistband of Kris' shorts and his cool fingers found the hot skin of his cock at the same time that he bit down and sharp teeth pierced Kris' skin.

Kris bit his lip bloody as he tried not to shout when he came. "Parents!" he gasped out and Adam moved swiftly back up and covered Kris' mouth with his own.

"So keep quiet," Adam whispered into his mouth. Kris was helpless to stop his body's response to Adam's touch and he lifted his legs and dug his heels into the soft skin of Adam's ass, tilting his hips and shoving his cock further into Adam's hand.

Adam moved back down again and his mouth pulled strongly at Kris' neck. Suddenly Kris felt the sharp pain of Adam's teeth biting down and the euphoria of the vampire bite made Kris' head spin. The contrast of hot and cold and blood and come sent Kris bucking hard against Adam and his fingers tightened around Adam's cock in reaction.

Adam groaned into Kris' skin, releasing him from mouth and hand at the same time and pushed into the hot grasp of Kris' hand. Kris felt the cool, sticky liquid coat his hand and he smiled to himself at being the one to push Adam to lose control.

Adam sighed against his mouth, sharing breath for a moment. "This was not the plan for this evening," he told Kris, trying to sound stern but breathlessness robbed him of the force behind his words.

"Well, I don't know what your plan was," Kris said, letting his legs drop down, "but it went perfectly for me."

Adam's laugh was weak and he fell against Kris, a heavy, boneless weight. Kris shoved at him and went to the bathroom to get a wash cloth. He washed his hands and wiped himself clean and went to Adam who had rolled onto his back and was sprawled across his bed.

Kris took a moment to appreciate the view and then made quick work of cleaning Adam up. He tossed the cloth at the bathroom door and then tumbled back into bed at a tug from Adam. He was pulled into strong arms and snuggled close in an instant.

"Wake me up at six," Adam muttered into his hair. "I'll get out of here before your folks wake up."

Kris tucked his head into the hollow of Adam's throat. "Okay," he agreed, hoping that for once his father did not wake up before six.

"You do realise that after this, I'll be coming in with you every night?" Adam asked.

"All part of my evil plan," Kris told him. "I'm a badass slayer after all."

The rumble of Adam's laughter was the last thing he heard before he slipped into sleep.

It was good to be Kris Allen, Vampire Slayer.

Really, fucking awesome actually.

**Author's Note:**

>  **Beta:** The always amazing and utterly wonderful dansetheblues  & inbetweencabs  
>  **Notes** Title from Joss Whedon's "Buffy, the Vampire Slayer". I may have borrowed some popular vampire concepts. Please don't sue. I am poor.


End file.
